coccyx injury

[Lyin]

I fell down a flight of steps yesterday and injured my coccyx.  Is there anything I can do to ease the pain?  How long does an injury to your coccyx last?

[jane_foote]

I fell on my coccyx yesterday and it hurts to bend over or sit for a long time. how long will the pain last?

[myrlie]

Hi,
I'm 19 years and I broke my tailbone about 5 year ago. I used to be a dancer but that changed when I fell. The doctors told me that t would heal overtime and for about a year or so it was fine ( 6months after my fall) but lately, the pain is coming back and I'm afraid it didn't heal when I thought it did. Any help/ advice? I want to start dancing again and I really don't want to have surgery =/

[Quixotic1]

Ooooch!!! I hope you only bruised it!.  That kind of fall is notorious for breaking it.  The treatment is the same.  For the pain you can use something like Ibuprofen or Aleve.  You may need something stronger in the beginning like a narcotic analgesic.

Get a donut pillow or make one.  This is a firm foam rubber cushion with a 3" to 4" cut out so that your coccyx can rest in the hole and your weight is distributed around it.  There is a wonderful one commercially called the "Tush Cush".  You can find it online or check with your local "Back Store"  there are several different chains in the US.  They usually carry them.  Take your cushion EVERYWHERE.

Another thing you'll need to do is keep your bowel movements soft.  Straining at stool pulls hard on the tender coccyx.  If this is frequently a problem for you, get a lot more fiber into your diet and increase your water intake.  If this doesn't help you can use a stool softener called "docusate sodium".  these come in generics at most stores and also (more $$) in the brand Colace.  

My experience is that a bruise usually is painful for a few weeks, a fracture may be painful for many months.  

Finally, in the rare case that the coccyx doesn't heal, there is a surgical procedure called a coccygectomy (sp??) that is sometimes done.

If you have any pain radiating out to your hips or legs or if you have numbness in your legs/feet - have your back evaluated by a doc.  The coccyx itself doesn't press on any big local nerves, but you might have injured something farther up.

Good luck.  Quix