Coccydynia

What is Coccydynia?

Coccydynia is pain in the tailbone, or coccyx, that is usually the result of inflammation in the tailbone. The coccyx is the small bone located at the very bottom of your spine. Coccydynia can cause tenderness and a dull or achy pain in the low back or tailbone area. It is often caused by some sort of injury or other trauma to the tailbone or pelvic bone. Most of the time, coccydynia pain is only felt at the tip of the tailbone, located very low on the spine, between the buttocks. Often the pain is made worse by sitting.

 

Pain for coccydynia can be managed with treatments such as:

• Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen

• Using supportive pillows

• Modifying your activity

• Applying hot or cold packs

• Getting a cortisone or numbing injection

 

Coccydynia can be a tricky condition to diagnose since there are many disorders that mimic the symptoms and type of pain that is present with coccydynia. It is important to see your doctor if you notice any coccydynia symptoms to rule out these other conditions.

 

Symptoms

Coccydynia is pain in the tailbone. The main symptom of coccydynia is tenderness paired with a dull, achy pain in the tailbone area, at the very bottom of the spine, between the buttocks. This pain often gets worse when sitting or leaning against your backside.

Coccydynia can be a hard condition to diagnose since many disorders mimic the symptoms and type of pain that is present with coccydynia. It is important to see your doctor if you notice any coccydynia symptoms to make sure you rule out these other conditions.

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Causes

Most of the time, coccydynia is caused by an injury or other trauma to the tailbone, which causes inflammation.

In rare cases, there may be no real injury or trauma to the tailbone, and this condition may seem to appear on its own, without any real cause.

 

Diagnosis and Tests

Your doctor will most likely diagnose coccydynia based on your symptoms, as well as a physical exam of the area where the pain is.

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Your doctor may also request an x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan if more information is needed to rule out a broken bone or fracture so that a proper diagnosis can be made.

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