A sore tailbone is never easy to deal with. The pain can hamper you physically and mentally, preventing you from performing at the highest level. It isn’t an affliction we want to endure for weeks or months, which can sometimes happen in certain situations.
While there’s no way to cure tailbone pain instantly, various methods can help alleviate the pressure causing the pain.
Today, we’ll break down the best possible solutions for coccyx soreness. In this way, even if the pain doesn’t go away when you want it to, you will be able to manage it properly and hopefully remain productive while doing so.
The Source of Your Tailbone Pain
To know whether you can get rid of your tailbone pain quickly or not means identifying its source. In most cases, the soreness will be nothing serious.
It’ll likely be because you sat too long on a hard surface or sat the “wrong” way, putting too much pressure on your tailbone. In these instances, you can get temporary pain relief by standing up and walking around.
However, recurring tailbone pain might be the result of an injury to your lower spine, an abnormal growth in the area, or in extremely rare cases, cancer. Whether this be the case or not, your first move should always be to consult your physician. The possibility for things to get desperately wrong means you should partner with a doctor to set you on the right path.
Two Types of Tailbone Pain and How To Heal Them
Once you’ve established the reason why your tailbone hurts, you can begin implementing the methods to manage the pain until it goes away.
1. Coccydynia or Coccygodynia (Regular Tailbone Pain)
In case you’re “fortunate” enough to be part of the majority of patients with non-serious tailbone pain conditions, your healing options range from walking around and sitting “properly” to taking over-the-counter pain medications.
Sitting, Standing, and Walking “Properly”
Whatever the reason for your tailbone pain, you’ll want to stand, walk, and sit using the correct posture to minimize the pressure on your coccyx. According to Help and Wellness, V-shaped pillows and coccyx cushions also offer excellent aid when sitting down since they alleviate the sensitive area’s pressure. Also, keep in mind that when moving to a sitting position, you must lean forward.
Hot and Cold Compression
Another pain- and pressure-relieving solution for Coccydynia is hot and cold compression. You can simply sit on an ice pack or heating pad to ease your tailbone’s discomfort.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Furthermore, consider taking over-the-counter meds like Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Acetaminophen to ease the pain on your sensitive area on days when they’re particularly sore. Naturally, you don’t want to overdo it with NSAIDs since, depending on your health situation, they may have adverse effects on your health.
Stretches and Exercises
Lastly, we have stretches and exercises for tailbone pain. You can start practicing a particular type of yoga that stretches the ligaments and muscles that run through the tailbone area, offering some form of relief to your coccyx. This is typically something recommended to pregnant women experiencing tailbone pain.
Regardless of which healing method you choose for your condition, make sure to consult your doctor to ensure that it’s what’s best for your health.
2. Chronic Coccydynia
Yes, there are times when your tailbone pain doesn’t go away, no matter which of the above options you use. In this case, the only thing to do is visit your doctor and work with him or her in devising a treatment plan.
Your doctor will either suggest getting physical therapy, a massage, stronger medication, or surgery. You could also be advised to combine any of these options with home practices to manage tailbone pain and get optimal results.
Physical Therapy
If you recently received treatment for a tailbone injury, you can rely on physical therapy to fully recover. This involves a physical therapist showing you strengthening exercises for the tailbone muscles, such as the pelvic floor and stomach muscles.
Surgery
If your doctor suggests surgery to remove part or your entire tailbone, you’ll be undergoing what’s called a coccygectomy. It doesn’t guarantee instant healing and could still take time for the pain to go away.
How Fast Can a Sore Tailbone Be Healed?
How fast a sore tailbone heals depends on factors that are both within and beyond your control. If your condition isn’t too serious, and you implement the methods that successfully address the source of the pain, you should be able to heal in a few short days or weeks.
On the other hand, if you’re suffering from chronic tailbone pain, then expect a longer healing process that may involve stronger meds, physical therapy, and in rare cases, surgery. Still, regardless of your particular circumstance, it’s important to always talk to your doctor about your treatment options. That is how you’re able to heal the quickest, given your specific situation.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
