What Problems Can Occur from a Tail Bone or Coccyx Injury?

A tail bone or coccyx injury is never fun, but it may cause more issues than you expect. Misalignments and irregularities in the lower portion of the spine can cause problems in other areas of your body, which can be difficult to diagnose and treat effectively.

Falls are the most common cause of injuries to the tailbone, but childbirth, contact sports and some repetitive actions can also be the culprit. Swelling as a result of a trauma to the coccyx can also shift bones out of alignment, in turn causing more inflammation and pain.

How Does a Tail Bone or Coccyx Injury Affect the Body?

At the very end of your spine is the tail bone, or coccyx. Injury to this portion of the spine can be quite painful, but it can also affect other parts of your body due to the dense network of the spinal cord and central nervous system.

In children, there are five bones which make up the sacrum and three to five bones in the coccyx. With age, these segments fuse into two singular, solid bones. Injury to these bones, misalignments and subluxations affect the muscles of the hips and buttocks, along with some portions of the thighs and legs.

Internally, pelvic tissues and the rectum can be affected by a tail bone or coccyx injury. Scoliosis, pain while seated and hemorrhoids can also be connected to irregularities within the musculoskeletal system in this area. In some patients, coccyx injuries can cause painful muscle spasms in the leg colloquially known as a “Charley horse,” which tend to strike while the affected patient is sleeping or at rest.

Recovering from a Tail Bone or Coccyx Injury

The pain resulting from an injury to the coccyx can be quite severe and persistent, making it difficult for patients to rest comfortably in almost any position. Healing can be slow for injuries of this nature, making daily activities difficult as well. During the healing process, patients should maintain good posture and use ice to reduce inflammation when necessary.

Chiropractic care during the healing process can not only help to speed the process, but often provides patients suffering from a tailbone or coccyx injury with significant pain relief and less restricted movement. Over the course of treatment for these types of injuries, a chiropractor may also offer advice on minimizing pain with special exercises at home or other recommendations to aid in the healing process. Because chiropractic medicine is a conservative approach to treatment, it does not include surgical interventions or invasive procedures, nor does it involve prescription pain medications.

Through manipulation of the spine and targeted treatments, chiropractic therapy can and does offer patients suffering from debilitating, painful injuries relief. Correcting misalignments and subluxations may also bring relief to other parts of the body, much to many patients’ surprise. Working with a chiropractor to develop a customized treatment plan may be the best and most effective way to recover from a tailbone injury and reduce time off work due to coccyx injury.