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Blog

Often injured, rarely treated: tailbone misalignment

10/9/2014

8 Comments

 
Chronic lower back discomfort. Stiff neck. Pelvic floor dysfunction such as pain with intercourse or urinary incontinence. Inability to sit squarely or for long periods of time. Pain with bowel movements. These are symptoms I see commonly grouped together in patients coming for treatment. What’s the connection?
The tailbone.

Although it is a common site of injury, often taking the brunt of our many childhood and adult slip and falls, the tailbone is unfortunately an under-evaluated source of pain and dysfunction in both men and women. Once injured it can cause pain in sitting, pain with bowel movements, pelvic floor dysfunction, (such as pain with intercourse) or even cause reactions up the spine, all the way to the neck and head.

What is the Tailbone?

The coccyx, or tailbone, is the last piece of the spine.  It’s shaped like a triangle, and attaches to the sacrum by ligaments that run front, back, and both sides. To find your tailbone, just feel down your back, between the buttocks, until just above the opening of the anus.

In a healthy alignment it is mobile (moves slightly when pressed upon), center line, pain free, and continuous with the sacrum. However in a dysfunctional alignment it may be painful to touch it or the tissue around it, immobile, and even noticeably off-center.  It may feel like it “points” deep into the body, rather than continuous with the rest of the spine.

How does Tailbone Injury Happen?

Some patients know the moment they injured their tailbone. It is often a slip and fall, resulting in pain in sitting, and requiring the use of a donut pillow for some time until the irritation subsides. Usually, though, patients arriving with tailbone dysfunction cannot pinpoint a particular time that it was severely injured. They recall a multitude of childhood falls, none of which were particularly notable. And yet the tailbone is out of alignment and causing dysfunction.

Because the tailbone is attached to the rest of the spine by ligaments, it can be sprained just like any other joint. It can also be moved out of alignment.In many cases, a fall to the buttocks jams the tailbone forward, spraining the ligaments surrounding. As they heal the ligaments may scar down around the malaligned tailbone, effectively holding it rigidly out of place. Whether the fall was 2 months ago or 20 years ago, the tailbone may still be out of alignment.

What the Problems Associated with Tailbone Misalignment?

The most obvious symptom is coccydynia, or pain at the tailbone. However often patients have no pain at the tailbone until it is directly touched, and occasionally have no pain around it at all. This symptom may manifest as an inability to be comfortable in sitting. Often patients find themselves shifting from buttock to buttock in search of a comfortable position.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is common, as the pelvic floor muscles attach around the tailbone. Their ability to function optimally is affected by the positioning of the bones around them. Problems may include pain with intercourse, sensation of “tightness,” or pain with bowel movements. Bladder leaking may be aggravated by the inability of the pelvic floor to contract optimally.

Pain or tightness further up the spine is often a secondary symptom that patients don’t realize is connected. Since the spine and its contents are continuous from the skull to the tailbone, a tailbone out of place can affect alignment all the way up to the head.  The most common two places I see this are the lower back and the suboccipital region, or area just below the skull on the back of the neck. Chronic nagging pain or tightness in these areas that shifts but never resolves despite care may be traced down to malalignment of the tailbone.

Treatment

The only way to treat most tailbone dysfunction is to work internally to mobilize the soft tissue around it and the joint itself. This is most directly done rectally, but sometimes can be accomplished vaginally.Pelvic floor physical therapists can do this, and some chiropractors and osteopaths may be trained to do it as well.

Why does this only work internally?  Since the most common dysfunction of the tailbone is to be pushed forward by a fall to the buttocks, it needs to be mobilized in a posterior direction.  This involves putting pressure on the front of the tailbone to move it back into place. In most cases the only way to access this angle on the tailbone is internally.

The therapist treating you should have specialized training to work internally, and have worked with tailbone issues before. As with all internal treatment, it’s important that you feel comfortable and informed about what is happening. The practitioner will use a gloved and lubricated finger to mobilize your tailbone. You should be in a private room, draped for your comfort, and educated on what is found during evaluation and being done during treatment. Many patients are very anxious about being treated at or around the rectum. A skilled practitioner will be able to make your treatment as comfortable possible.

Does it Stay Fixed?

Usually, yes! Once the tailbone is mobilized it will not scar itself back into the old position unless there is a new injury. However, it’s important to treat the ligaments, muscles, and bones around it as well, which may be contributing the dysfunction.  Without treatment, these areas might pull the coccyx back out of alignment over time.  The same concept applies to areas such as the lower back and the neck. Once the pressure of the malaligned tailbone is resolved, it’s important to also treat the rest of the spine as it may have become tight or weak over time.

Often patients describe a sensation of “lightness” and ability to stand taller after being treated for tailbone dysfunction, as if a pressure was released. If you suspect that you have tailbone dysfunction, it is worth it to have an evaluation. You may find a connection piece in the puzzle for other symptoms you didn’t think were related.

About the author: Dr. Leslie Wakefield MS, PT, CSCS, is a doctor of physical therapy specializing in Women’s Health and Pelvic Rehabilitation. She is the owner of Wellsprings Health, a holistic therapy clinic in Hollywood, Florida. She can be reached with questions at leslie@wellspringshealth.net

8 Comments
Melissa link
25/9/2015 09:22:25 pm

This is the second piece of yours addressing issues typically not covered in the average article on the respective topic! I have had a bruised tailbone for almost 15 years. I fell directly on it in dance class, was prescribed a donut, and the pain went away after about 2 weeks. Six months later, after an unusual amount of sitting over the a period of one week, it developed a bruised sensation upon pressure...sometimes I feel it if sitting on a hard chair and definitely if I press on it. I had it evaluated at a specialty center for dance injuries here in NY and there was nothing they could do for me (they said surgery was my only option (removing the tip)). We all agreed that wasn't worth it. I'm curious if you think it would be too late for the treatment you mentioned above to work for me...considering how much time has past.

Reply
Leslie
28/9/2015 03:51:52 pm

Hi Melissa! Yes, this type of treatment will work regardless of the age of the injury, if the issue is indeed malalignment of the coccyx due to scar tissue/improper healing of the ligaments. The extent of the improvement really depends on the specifics of the injury, but it's definitely worth trying. One note- the longer it has been since the injury, the more ingrained the compensatory strategies of the body will have become. It may (or may not) take more time to treat an older injury due to other areas also needing to be addressed.

Reply
Frances Weinberg
2/7/2016 08:16:10 am

Dear Leslie, You are a True Healer.
My 2 hours spent with you was Amazing.
After 10 years of no sleep with lower back pain at night when trying to sleep and now 7 months of not being able to get up from a sitting position I found you😘
All Drs. Wanted to do is give shots ( that didn't last) and never said what was wrong with me.
You knew exactly where my problems were and went right to gently healing my pain. Only 1 treatment and I am getting up from my chair WITHOUT any knife like pain in my butt "Literally".
And you started treatment on my back problem of not being able to Sleep in any laying position. It took me years to learn to sleep in a sitting fetal position after buying a 3,000.00 electric bed.
There isn't enough THANK YOUS or HUG.
My Husband of 45 years was so impressed after watching the whole experience he is a true believer now.
Do the research, you will find a TRUE HEALER. 😘👍🏻😀👌🌙🌟
Thank you so so much, Frances and Steve ❤️

Reply
Kay
3/6/2018 05:05:33 pm

I have tailbone pain that is causing me to no be able to have full bowel movements. Seeing the symptoms of malaligned tailbone is everything I have been experiencing in the past years of my like such as Charlie horses during sleep; foot tenderness only when I first get out of bed in the morning. When I go to have a bowel movement my Anus feels tight like I can’t pass a big stool only small pieces come out after 30 min on the toilet. I’m am distraught I don’t want this to continue through my life. So many sickness can happen from conatipation. It literally feels like something is blocking the stool from coming out of my rectum. I don’t know what to do at this point. Pain in my tailbone is relieved when sitting on a ring cushion and standing. I also had a lateral view X-ray done while lying on my side with my knees bent my chiroprator says that my tailbone is protruding in when my knees are bent like sitting in a toilet. This is tough I need some relief before I develop hemmoroid and a prolapsed vagina from trying to fully move my bowels. Something else to mention sometimes when leaning forward or back while is sitting positing some crepitus and cracks can be felt in my tailbone not painful but a weird feeling.and the whole constipation thing started 4 days ago. The actual tailbone pain mid year 2017 no injury just sharp pain when getting up to standing position right down the middle.

Reply
Kenzie
24/1/2020 03:43:46 am

Leslie / Dr. Wakefield,
I am incredibly moved by this post. I fell over a year ago off my lofted bed in my college dorm straight onto my tail bone and hips. However, I have not felt any pain directly on my tailbone or hips. Rather, overtime I noticed I was becoming increasingly less flexible with extreme muscle tightness and a new struggle with insomnia. I went to a massage therapist who “aligned my body” and put everything back in place. This person said my tailbone was completely out of place as it had been sitting in a forward position. However, ever since then even with continuous visits my tailbone and spine have been subject to movement and extreme instability. I cannot sit without fear of my tailbone slipping forward and I am constantly dealing with movement in my individual vertebrae along with headaches/ migraines. I feel debilitated at this point. I am sure my problem has mostly to do with my tailbone and its inability to stay in place? Would this type of treatment work for me? It seems to be the answer I have been searching for all along. Unfortunately, I live in Tacoma in Washington state. What type of practitioner should I search for in my area that would share similar values and treatment approaches as you?
Thank you, Kenzie

Reply
Leslie
2/2/2020 12:09:17 pm

Kenzie, I recommend the following directory for finding tailbone specialists: https://www.coccyx.org/treatmen/docsusa.htm . Best of luck to you!

Reply
Patty Sedran
25/1/2020 08:29:05 am

Do you recommend any dr in nj/ny that can do this treatment? Thank you

Reply
Leslie
2/2/2020 12:10:03 pm

Patty, I recommend the following directory for finding tailbone specialists: https://www.coccyx.org/treatmen/docsusa.htm . Wishing you the best of luck!

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  • Home
  • Get To Know Us
  • Physical Therapy
    • Pelvic Health Physical Therapy >
      • Bladder and Bowel Concerns
      • Pregnancy
      • Postpartum
      • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
      • Pain with Sex
      • Vaginal and Rectal Pain
      • Pelvic Pain
      • Coccyx Care
      • Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
      • Post Surgical
      • Scar Tissue >
        • How We Treat It
        • Hysterectomy
        • Post Mastectomy and Augmentation
        • C-section and Episiotomy
        • Other Scarring
    • Self Treatment Aides >
      • Coccydynia Self-Help
      • Sacroiliac Pain Self-Help
      • Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Self-Help
      • Sore or Stiff Muscles Self-Help
    • FAQ
    • Telehealth
    • Yoga
    • Massage
  • Contact
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