Coccygodynia

What is coccygodynia?


Coccygodynia (pain in the tailbone) is a painful condition of the lowest bones of the spine (coccyx). This pain is localized in the crease of the buttocks and is normally caused by a fall onto the buttocks.

Causes

In the majority of cases, coccygodynia is caused by an accident - usually a fall in the sitting position. Certain sports can also such as cycling and motor sport can lead to coccygodynia. In women childbirth may also be regarded as the 'accident' that causes coccygodynia.

Signs and symptoms

Most patients with coccygodynia complain of pain in the tailbone, usually aggravated by sitting. Often cycling is impossible due to the pressure of the saddle on the tailbone.

How is coccygodynia diagnosed?

The diagnosis is usually made on the grounds of the pain that arises after an accident or following childbirth. In addition to the standard physical and neurological examination, it is important to examine the tailbone with the hands. When making the diagnosis, it is important to see if pain is present when the tailbone is moved.

Do I need additional examinations?

  • Diagnostic examination for other non-physical factors important for your pain, have already been done by yourself trough filling out your pain questionnaires.
  • If necessary, an X-ray of the lower back will be taken to exclude other causes.
  • If it is not preceded by accident or childbirth, referral to a gynecologist or specialist in internal medicine may be necessary to exclude other causes.

What are my treatment possibilities?

Multidisciplinary treatment

Depending on the cause of your pain, your pain specialist will decide whether or not to start physical treatment. Based on the results of the completed pain questionnaire, additional examinations can be carried out and, apart from physical treatment, other methods of treatment will be suggested.

Non-physical treatment

If the results of your pain questionnaire are abnormal, your pain specialist will offer you one of the non-physical treatments listed below:

Physical treatment

Medication

Other Treatment

Interventional pain treatment

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