You may have suffered a broken bone in your tailbone or experienced a bruised tailbone if you suddenly experience intense pain in the lower back area or on top of the buttocks after a backward fall on a hard surface. A tailbone injury can range from minor discomfort to severe pain, depending on the impact and the nature of the injury. A bruised tailbone, alongside a potential broken tailbone, could also cause intense pain in this area, stemming from various incidents ranging from minor trauma to more severe impacts. It may be painful to move your legs or sit down, which can interfere with everyday life and getting adequate sleep. However, you don’t have to shoulder this pain alone.
If you suspect you have broken or bruised your tailbone, an orthopedic spine specialist at NJ Spine & Orthopedic can examine the area and create a treatment plan for you and your needs. Then, we can give you a course of treatment to ease swelling, pain, and discomfort while waiting for it to heal. Our Concierge Team can collect your medical records, coordinate your appointment, and answer any questions you may have.
What Are the Ways the Tailbone Can Be Bruised or Suffer a Fractured Tailbone?
Traumatic injury is often the most common way an individual can injure their tailbone. For example, playing contact sports or slip-and-fall accidents are ways that a tailbone can be bruised or broken. Repetitive activities like cycling or rowing can also strain the tailbone, causing it to be injured. Additionally, car accidents are a notable cause of coccyx injuries, often requiring medical assessments and discussions with insurance companies regarding compensation.
Ligaments and muscles around the tailbone can be stretched and strained during childbirth, one of the scenarios that can lead to serious tailbone injuries, causing pain in that area or, in rare cases, causing the tailbone to break. If the pain doesn’t disappear in a few months, you’ll have to consider treatment options to help heal the tailbone, including a fractured tailbone which may involve comfort aids, nerve blocks, and in severe cases, surgery, alongside the already mentioned physical therapy if the symptoms don’t get better.
The Symptoms of Tailbone Pain from a Bruised or Broken Tailbone
Symptoms of a coccyx fracture will often be immediately apparent after a traumatic impact on that region. Symptoms may include:
- Tenderness and pain in the lower back
- Pain on top of the buttocks area
- Numbness or pain while sitting
- Bruising and swelling at the base of the spine.
A fractured coccyx can lead to more severe symptoms, necessitating a thorough medical evaluation to assess the extent of the injury and to formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
Although injury to the tailbone is not an emergency, you may still want to visit a medical professional. They can X-ray the region to see if the injury is a tailbone fracture and can give you a treatment plan to heal faster and relieve pain and discomfort. However, you should get treatment as soon as possible if you experience the following symptoms:
- When the injury is not healing as expected
- You experience a sudden increase in pain or swelling
- Sudden numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs
- When constipation is an issue over time
- You cannot control your bowel or bladder
To manage your condition effectively, it’s crucial to avoid activities that could make the pain worse, emphasizing the importance of careful movement and activity selection during recovery.
If you have any of these symptoms, you must see a doctor. There may have been ligaments or muscles that were damaged when the tailbone was injured.
Reach Out for a Consultation From the Spine Experts at NJ Spine & Orthopedic
If you are experiencing intense coccyx pain resulting from a hard backward or seated fall, consult our bone health specialists. We can perform examinations and imaging scans to diagnose the problem. The primary goal is to achieve pain relief, ensuring a swift return to your daily activities without discomfort. Then, we can come up with a treatment plan that includes methods to provide pain relief and put you on the road to recovery. We will be here with you every step of the way during treatment to make sure you get the help you need and deserve.
Our skilled doctors specialize in bone health and pain management. If you’re experiencing bone pain but don’t know what can be causing it, call our offices at (866) 553-0612 or complete our contact form. You don’t have to deal with tailbone pain alone – we can make sure you can go back to daily life without discomfort or other symptoms. As part of the recovery process, our specialists recommend incorporating pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles around the tailbone.