Tailbone
(2 discussions)
I was snowboarding and I landed on my tailbone really hard a couple of time, and now there is a shooting pain almost everytime I move and it is soo painfull to sit down. What can I do without going to the doctors?
2 comments
Shara
There’s not anything you can do even *with* going to the Doctor if it’s a broken tailbone. The whole reason to get professional help if a broken tailbone is suspected is to rule out other causes of the pain, such as a tumor or cyst on your spine. I’m guessing that if you had a fall and suddenly started having pain that you directly attribute to that incident, it’s probably just a broken tailbone. Get a blow-up vinyl ‘donut’ ring to sit on, take ibuprofen, and suffer for a few months. If there’s any doubt in your mind though, see at least your PCP.
Dr. Brian
Actually, seeing a doctor would probably be wise, even if it is not broken. If it is broken (fractured), then it just needs to heal, and a donut would be the right decision. However, a lot of times it is not fractured, but is painful. I recently saw a patient who fell down the stairs and then had coccyx (tailbone) pain. Some chiropractors, physical therapists, and osteopaths have experience treating this. I successfully treated this patient through soft tissue work, home exercises, and manual adjustments. I cannot suggest which exercises for you to do unless I was able to evaluate the coccyx (tailbone). I normally X-ray the tailbone, to rule out fracture, and to see how it lies. It may be too far inwards (internal coccyx), or too far outwards (external). Regardless, you shouldn’t find any doctor, but one that has experience treating this. Check out coccyx.org for further suggestions.