Coccydynia (Coccyx Pain)

Coccydynia is the medical term for pain experienced in the tailbone and can be quite a debilitating condition! Typically coccydynia occurs following trauma to the tailbone, such as landing on your bottom during a fall, or following labour and childbirth. Sometimes it can be as simple as having changed your sitting habits, or having spent too long sitting on a hard surface. Coccyx pain is usually experienced during or after sitting, especially when sitting on hard surfaces.

Effective treatment of coccydynia involves identifying the factors contributing to the irritation of the coccyx. This may be pressure on the coccyx itself due to altered mobility of the coccyx, poor sitting habits (e.g. too much time sitting, sitting with poor posture that loads the coccyx, or sitting on unsuitably hard surfaces), or abnormal tension in the muscles attaching to the coccyx. Once we have identified what is contributing to your coccyx pain, we can effectively treat it to help you become pain free again! This may involve mobilisation of the coccyx to restore its normal positioning and glide, alterations to sitting habits, and relaxation of the muscles attaching to the coccyx to reduce pain.

If you are experiencing coccyx pain, our Physiotherapists trained in Women’s Health are here to help!