A Pain in the... Tailbone? Understanding and Treating Coccydynia in Burlington
Sitting down for meals becomes uncomfortable. Your daily commute feels unbearable. Even relaxing on the sofa requires carefully positioning multiple cushions just to find relief. Does this resonate with you? You might be dealing with coccydynia—pain in your tailbone.
Given where this pain occurs, many Burlington residents endure it quietly or purchase generic donut-shaped cushions that rarely provide meaningful relief. But here's what you need to know: your coccyx isn't simply a remnant from our evolutionary past. It serves as a vital anchor point for your pelvic floor muscles, making it essential to your body's core function.
What Causes Tailbone Pain?
Several factors can trigger coccydynia:
Traumatic Injury: Slipping on icy Burlington sidewalks during our harsh winters, or taking a hard fall down stairs, can directly injure the tailbone.
Childbirth: During delivery, your coccyx naturally shifts backward to create space for baby. Sometimes this movement results in a sprain, or the bone becomes stuck in an abnormal position afterward.
Extended Sitting with Poor Posture: When you slouch or sit for prolonged periods (common for those working from home or commuting), you place constant pressure directly on the tailbone's tip.
Overactive Pelvic Floor Muscles: When muscles attached to your coccyx remain chronically tight, they continuously pull on the bone, keeping it compressed in a painful position.
How Pelvic Physiotherapy Addresses Tailbone Pain
I'm always encouraged when treating coccydynia at Burlington Pelvic Physiotherapy because it's one of the conditions where we consistently see remarkable results—often helping people who believed they'd live with this pain indefinitely.
Here's my treatment approach:
Assessment of Alignment: During your evaluation, I'll determine whether your coccyx has shifted left, right, or tilted forward from its neutral position.
Gentle Mobilization: The coccyx is a joint that can be mobilized! Using specialized techniques—either externally or through internal (rectal) work when appropriate—I can carefully restore your tailbone's natural range of motion and significantly reduce pain.
Targeted Muscle Release: I address the tight, overactive muscles (including the coccygeus and obturator internus) that may be pulling on your tailbone and perpetuating your discomfort.
Practical Sitting Strategies: Generic advice doesn't cut it. I'll show you specific positioning techniques to take pressure off your tailbone. Interestingly, those popular donut cushions often aren't ideal—wedge-shaped cushions typically provide much better relief for coccydynia.
Ready to Find Relief?
If tailbone pain is limiting your daily activities in Burlington, you don't have to continue suffering. Book an assessment at our clinic located at 960 Cumberland Ave, Burlington, ON L7N 3J6. Call us at 905-635-5711 or schedule online to start your recovery journey today.
