Home Treatments for Tailbone Pain

Tailbone pain can excruciatingly painful. Chronic pain caused by the injury or bruising of the tailbone is called Coccdynia. Coccodynia can be caused by a fall, prolonged sitting, childbirth, or in some cases cancer. There are multiple ways to manage tailbone pain depending on its severity. As someone who has dealt with tailbone pain for several years due to having cerebral palsy and needing to use a wheelchair for 16-18 hours a day. I have discovered multiple simple ways to combat coccodynia without drugs, surgery, or medication.

Tailbone pain sometimes can even necessitate surgery. Please remember however, I am not a doctor and advise that you take this information and use it at your own risk. The advice in this article does not replace a visit to a doctor. The methods below are just what works for me and may not be the best option for you.

Cushions are available online and can relieve tailbone pain tremendously while sitting in an office chair or on a long drive. Tailbone cushions alleviate pressure on the coccyx(another name for the tailbone), they have a hole in them meets the top the area where the top of the tailbone lands when sitting. On average cushions can cost anywhere from a few dollars(if homemade) to several hundreds of dollars if needing to be prescribed by a doctor.

If sitting in a chair without a cushion try to shift your weight every few minutes. Doing this will help distribute your weight and relieve pressure placed on your tailbone and nearby areas like your lower back or the back of the legs. Pressure relief is something most wheelchair users are taught to do at the beginning of their wheelchair use to prevent pressure sores.

Heat and cold packs also help tailbone pain. Sitting on a heating pad helps relieve the tension in the muscles surrounding the tailbone. Cold packs help dull any pain you may be having during a prolonged period of sitting. Be sure though that if you are using a heating pad or hot pack that you don't use it too long. Either temperature should be used at 20 minute intervals when possible to avoid damage to the skin and muscle. Always use a cloth barrier between the body and any hot or cold pack.

Exercise such as yoga and gentle stretching can also help, but should be begun slowly and under the supervision of a medical professional whenever possible. Yoga may only help for several hours at a time depending on any conditions that may accompany it. Any of these suggestions may help you, feel free to try them all or just a few but with the guidance of your doctor.

Sources:

Personal experience

http://www.coccyx.org

http://www.medicinenet.com