Does anyone suffer from OR know anything about coccydynia?

[Tess]

I have had pain in my tailbone for a year and four months. This is not injury related--I just woke up one a.m. and had pain in my tailbone. I didn't think much about it at the time and initially thought it was just an irritation caused by my thong underwear. Changing back to regular undies didn't help and the condition has never resolved.

Sitting is difficult and I'm now beginning to have pain when I sleep on my back. About a year ago (after having the pain for 3-4 months) I mentioned it to my MD and was basically blown off--or at least felt that way. She offered some pain medication which I refused because I wanted to "cure" the pain, not just cover it up. When she didn't even want to perform an physical examination (she x-rayed the coccyx and determined there was no fracture--offered a bone scan thereafter), I decided to get busy and diagnose myself.

Initially I thought it was a pilonidal cyst returning (I had one many years ago that was surgically removed). After researching the symptoms on the web and corresponding with an online doctor specializing in "pilonidal cysts"--it was suggested that I was actually suffering from coccydynia. After being pointed in that direction, I continued to research and now believe that this is my problem. While I am certainly not a health professional, I have some knowledge of medical issues and feel I'm making a pretty good self-diagnosis based upon symptoms.

I know the recommended treatments out there (surgical removal--don't want to go there for a variety of reasons; wait and see--been doing that for quite some time without resolution; pain pills/muscle relaxants--doesn't seem like a fix to me; heat/ice--doesn't give much relief; chiropractic manipulation--never had much faith in chiropractors; or rectal re-alignment of the coccyx--needs someone who knows what they are doing to perform this procedure.

I made an appointment with a chiropractor because I want the least invasive alternative at this juncture. I'm actually leaning toward the last alternative if chiropractic doesn't work. One problem is I need a referral from my MD to get there and she DOES NOT give referrals without running through all the bone scans (not recommended as an effective way to diagnose), MRIs, CTs (only helpful in ruling out CA), etc.--major expense just to get the end result desired. There is a physician (D.O.) regionally who deals with this particular condition and has had good success--need the referral to get there though.

After all of the background, my question is has anyone else had or heard of this condition and, if so, what did you find effective? What treatment routes did you take?

 

[grinningghost]

This is so weird! Several years ago, I developed pain in my tailbone. I didn't fall on it or anything, it just felt like it. After a few days, I went to the doctor, who said I had sprained it. He said it happens spontaneously in some people. It hurt to sit. After a while, it just went away. Then, some months later, a coworker had the exact same thing happen to her. We thought it was pretty bizarre. But now I hear you're having the same type of pain. I guess it's not as rare as I thought.

 

[Tess]

Other than injury--childbirth can cause the tailbone to tip forward and become displaced--can't be my cause because I'm long past that--unless it's a major delayed reaction (my youngest is nearly 13). Sometimes it just happens without a known etiology.

Some information I read indicates that perhaps abdominal adhesions caused by abdominal surgery could be a culprit--not much information on that aspect and I certainly hope not! I've had two bowel obstructions due to post-hysterectomy complications--would NOT want to go back there! That is also the reason I refuse to consider the surgical route.

Because it's not all that uncommon--especially in women--I thought I'd see if anyone else has suffered and what they did to "cure" it. Sounds like you were one of the lucky ones--it self-resolved.

 

[mamajoan]

Tess.. Hi.. you could try a TENS unit to mask the pain. It will not be a cure but it often works well to treat the pain. I think you will have to go to the DO or an Ortho to get any change done to the bone structure of the coccyx. and I would reallly check to make sure that ANYONE who is going to manipulate the coccyx has done so with success in the past. You have done alot of research and that is important. Best of luck to you! Hope you get much needed relief from this pain.

Joan

 

[grinningghost]

I did use one of those round cushions with the hole in the middle at work. It helped some.

 

[Tess]

Just in case anyone that gets on tonight might have some additional insight. . .

 

[crazymomof4]

This thread interests me bc. I've had pain in my tailbone off and on for about 7 years. It doesn't take much to set off an "attack". Sitting on on an unpadded chair for too long or going from a lying to sitting position in the tub (rolling my tailbone on the bottom of the tub). The pain can last for months and radiates into my rectum. My Dr. says I have an exaggerated curve to my tailbone and told me to take Motrin until the pain passes.
I'm bumping this to see if it draws anymore insight into this topic.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

WOW! This is interesting. I just started to have pain in my coccyx and into adjoining areas starting about 10 days ago. I am fine when standing or laying down, but it hurts to sit. I may want to look into this more.

 

[luvdzny]

Just wanted to "BUMP" this up so it does not get lost. My mom has had this problem for a couple of years now and can't seem to find any relief. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

 

[Tess]

There are some really good websites out there dedictated to this malady. In my effort to determine a course of action, I've read most of them I think! Basically, the pain is caused by a coccyx that has become improperly positioned through injury/trauma (falling, jarring from amusement park rides, childbirth) or other unknown etiology (cause). As I said, I simply woke up one morning and had pain later that day.

A good many of these conditions resolve themselves. Anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers are the most common first step. Using heat and/or ice therapy or soaking in a warm tub are helpful to some. Basically, it's the same kind of treatment recommended when you have a sprain/strain of a muscle. A "Tush Cush" is also recommended for sitting. This permits you to sit without putting pressure on the tailbone. The thought of lugging that thing around though is not ideal. I've found sitting on hard surfaces slightly forward has been the best way--but not very practical.

If those measures don't help, there are other avenues that would need to be explored. From what I've read, there are several "dynamic" x-rays that should be taken to properly diagnose "coccydynia". These involve standing and sitting x-rays and not the standard supine view of the spine. Sadly, most physicians (mine included) aren't very up on what to do with these complaints and order standard view x-rays and a bone scan (neither of which are effective in diagnosing--again, according to the medical papers I've read). MRI should be ordered only to rule our cancer, which is very unlikely.

After a proper evaluation/diagnosis is made, there are a few different treatments to be undertaken. I've basically outlined those above. Surgical removal of the coccyx is the last avenue that should be undertaken, obviously, and should be reserved for those in severe pain. According to the medical overviews I've read, there is no anatomical need for a coccyx--it's merely a remnant of our days when we had tails--if you believe that theory of evolution. Still, it is surgical intervention and shouldn't be entered into lightly--if at all. I have hesitated to contact an orthopaedic physician because, frankly, I've not found one that isn't cut happy. Face it, there job is primarily surgery and that seems to be the intervention they are most comfortable with--I know, there are exceptions, I've not had the pleasure of meeting one.

Chiropractic manipulation is another option that has worked for some women. As I said, that's the route I'm trying next. There is also a rectal procedure that involves placing the coccyx back into it's normal position. While it doesn't sound pleasant--if it works, it would be worth it!

If you want to read more about it, just type coccydynia into your search engine and you'll get a wealth of information. I've found it interesting, but unfortunately I've not been able to get much help from the medical community. I sometimes feel as if they don't want the patient more informed than they are about these things. I don't go into the doctor armed with print outs, but I just don't seem to be able to get many answers either. When you're at their mercy for referrals, it's a bit problematic. Sometimes I think that's almost as frustrating as the condition.

My pain is certainly not debilitating--just annoying and I want to be able to sit again, wear the unmentionables of my choice, and be pain free! Anyway, I posted because I was trying to find out if anyone had sought treatment for a like condition and what they had undertaken. I'm glad to provide my limited, unprofessional information though! Thanks for the interest.