Bruised tailbone - causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

“The tailbone hurts after a fall” is a very common complaint with traumatologist
people come who suffer from pain in the lower spine. This situation is quite widespread, and it can be triggered by ice on the street, a slippery floor in a shopping center, or a situation where a person falls on his back and buttocks after getting into an accident, etc. It is worth knowing that this condition requires immediate diagnosis and determination of the reasons why The last vertebrae (coccyx) hurt.

General information

The coccyx is located in the lower part of the spine and consists of five fused vertebrae that do not have a spinal cord. The absence of a vital structure does not mean that the injury in this area is insignificant. This is explained as follows:

• The gluteal muscles, which are involved in the process of hip extension, are attached to the coccyx.
• The area is inextricably linked with the genitourinary system and intestines; they are connected by a whole system of ligaments and muscle tissue.
• The lower section is involved in maintaining a person’s balance and acts as a fulcrum, especially when bending backwards.

An injury to the coccyx occurs mainly due to mechanical impact on it. Such damage is most often diagnosed in athletes or people whose profession involves heavy physical labor. They are more likely to develop osteochondrosis and osteoporosis. Such bone tissue and cartilage are more likely than others to undergo degenerative and dystrophic changes, and therefore become more fragile over time. Any injury can lead to serious consequences.

What types of coccyx injuries are there:

• Soft tissues. The tailbone itself may not be damaged during the impact, but if you fall from your own height, there is a high probability of injury to the muscles and ligaments surrounding it. Such damage is typical for both ordinary people and athletes.
• Lateral injury. Displacement of the vertebrae is provoked by any blow or sudden mechanical impact applied from the side. This leads to rupture of blood vessels, displacement or damage to soft tissue.
• Frontal injury. Occurs as a result of an accident, a traffic accident, when the main blow falls on the tailbone. In this case, there is a high probability of displacement of the bone element towards the abdominal cavity.

Professional athletes, as well as people with chronic pathologies of bones or muscles, are at risk of getting a severe bruise of the tailbone. In the latter case, due to degenerative changes, dense structures become more fragile, and even minor impacts lead to injury.

Other restorative directions of the Osteopathy Clinic

Osteopathic treatment does not imply instant healing, although the first sessions often bring relief.

It is not at all necessary to continue to endure pain while the injury is still making itself felt. Homeopathic preparations have a good restorative and analgesic effect: external ointments, substances for oral administration, lotions. A competent homeopath selects treatment individually for each patient.

If osteopathic methods are gentle and suitable even for expectant mothers and newborns, then manual therapy involves a more severe impact.

The manual doctor realigns the coccygeal bone using the rebound technique, pre-heating the lower spine. Reduction can be done through the anus.

Kinesio taping is a treatment by applying special tapes to a bruise. They reduce pain, swelling, and other symptoms.

If there has been a fracture of the coccyx, kinesio tapes will be useful after completing the general treatment course.

What types of coccyx injuries occur?

There is a high chance of hitting your tailbone in winter when the roads become slippery. Damage occurs as a result of a fall on the buttocks, and injuries can vary in severity:

• Injury. This is the mildest form of injury, which is characterized by injury to soft tissues and nerve endings. The blow leads to rupture of nerve vessels, the formation of hematomas, compression of ligaments, and the formation of an inflammatory process.
• Dislocation or subluxation. A pathological condition appears as a result of numerous mechanical damage. A bruised tailbone may move relative to the sacrum, and there is a sprain of the ligaments in this area.
• Ligament rupture. In the area of ​​the sacrum and coccyx, the ligaments lose their integrity as a result of severe stretching. An injury occurs if the patient not only hit the tailbone, but also subjected the section to prolonged overstrain.
• Fracture. Injury occurs as a result of strong mechanical impact. There is a higher chance of bone damage if the patient has a history of musculoskeletal disorders. Fractures are diagnosed mainly in elderly patients and professional athletes.

If a person hits his tailbone, he should consult a doctor to diagnose the severity of the injury. Self-medication can lead to aggravation of the problem, since a course of drug therapy and exercise therapy is required.

Treatment methods for the coccyx in osteopathy

Returning to a normal lifestyle after a tailbone injury, the patient hopes that the pain has gone away without a trace. But over time, he may find that some familiar movements are difficult for him. If you turn or bend over a little, the unpleasant, to put it mildly, sensation reminds you of age.

Professionals or sports enthusiasts note a decrease in flexibility and mobility of the lumbar region, and an increase in “grabbing” of the back. And my posture doesn't look the best.

Massage and therapeutic exercises bring temporary relief, while osteopathy is aimed not so much at the symptoms of injury, but at the full recovery of a person. And the pain-relieving effects occur as a natural result of treatment - when nothing hurts or bothers you.

Who and when needs the help of an osteopath for a tailbone injury?

• For fresh injuries of the coccyx. First you need to wait for the end of the acute phase of pain, healing of fractures or cracks. The osteologist examines the affected areas and assesses the extent of the disorder. Timely restoration of the coccygeal structure will help avoid further complications.
• For old pain. The patient may not know about the injury, may not remember the bruise or may not attach any importance to it, but the osteopath will certainly check the condition of the sacral area. In addition, he examines the entire body for disorders caused by coccyx pathology.
• Pregnant. A woman's body changes, and the load on the pelvis increases. In the 2nd-3rd trimester, visiting an osteopathy clinic is a wonderful opportunity to alleviate the condition and give birth without complications and interventions. The osteopath will gently and carefully eliminate injuries to the coccyx and prepare the pelvic bones for the birth process. It is especially important to undergo treatment for women with a history of coccyx injuries.
• After childbirth. Bearing and giving birth to a child is not easy for every female body. During childbirth, the tailbone may shift, and then over the years this leads to various health problems, especially if repeated births occur.
• Newborn baby. It happens that the anomalies are congenital. Damage occurs in the womb or at birth.

In his work, the doctor uses all available results of tests and examinations.

If there are doubts about the diagnosis, fear of an inflammatory or malignant process, he will additionally refer you for an x-ray of a certain area.

People are encouraged to undergo osteopathic treatment due to pain and dysfunction in the body, and neurological problems. But few people realize that these are all the consequences of a harmless bruise from a fall!

If a curved tailbone pinches nerve endings, puts pressure on the intestines, or displaces parts of the spine, the doctor must first eliminate the cause of these problems.

In response to a specific complaint, the osteopath looks for underlying damage, the root cause.

According to osteoscience, the lower vertebral process is an important element in a single structure consisting of the brain and spinal cord. The doctor pays enough attention to the sacropelvic region, adjusting its synchronization with the skull.

Important participants in this interaction are the bodily diaphragms:

• pelvic;
• sterno-abdominal;
• subclavian;
• submandibular;
• head

With a sharp bruise, reflex spasms of the whole body occur, and he cannot get out of this state on his own.

The osteologist not only corrects injuries directly in the sacral area, but also eliminates the damage they cause to the general condition of the patient. If something interferes with the free circulation of cerebrospinal fluid between the pelvis and head, stagnation occurs, which provokes:

• decreased immunity;
• pain in the head, neck;
• osteochnodrosis;

• inflammatory processes;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• numbness and cramps in the legs, etc.

Clamps in the spinal and cervical spine disrupt the blood supply to the brain, the consequences of which are oxygen starvation and intracranial pressure.

And the causes of a wide variety of diseases are in the once bruised tailbone! The patient may not notice for years that he is breathing shallowly, and only after osteopathic treatment he understands the difference.

It's like an osteopractor tunes the body's strings. Working through them from one end, he checks the sound, including the neighboring strings, along their entire length.

How long does your tailbone hurt after a fall?

The tailbone hurts after a fall for several hours or several weeks, depending on the degree of damage. Only the attending physician can determine it, and he will prescribe appropriate therapy. In some cases, unpleasant sensations persist throughout life, and the pain becomes chronic. Periods of exacerbation are followed by subsidence of symptoms.

Treating a bruised tailbone at home if the pain does not subside for several hours is strictly prohibited. An x-ray is required to rule out the possibility of a fracture or displacement of bone elements. This will subsequently lead to serious complications.

Classification

There are several types of coccyx injuries depending on the degree of damage:

1. Bruises – as a result of damage to muscle tissue, hematomas are formed or simply painful areas appear. The victim experiences acute pain only at the first moment, after which they disappear. Later, pain manifests itself in the bruised area when pressing on it or after being in a tense state for a long time in the lumbar muscles and buttocks.
2. Dislocation and subluxation - observed against the background of repeated damage to the coccyx and, in addition to a bruise, is expressed in the displacement of its articular surface relative to the sacrum and disruption of the integrity of the ligaments in this area.
3. Closed fracture - when the coccyx is damaged, the outer covering remains intact.
4. Open fracture - the integrity of the skin is damaged by external influences or bone fragments.

Stages and degrees

Depending on the severity, coccyx bruises are divided into severe and mild. Bruises that damage internal organs are considered separately.

In mild forms, pain in bone structures and soft tissues is felt only when pressing on the bruised area. After standing for a long time, a person experiences discomfort when trying to sit down, but after about 7 minutes after sitting in a sitting position, the pain disappears. A person experiences the same sensations as a result of a long stay in a sitting position.

Severe bruises are characterized by pain that occurs at rest and radiates to the rectum, external genitalia and perineum. The pain makes it difficult to move in the hip joints, but lying down and sitting does not bring relief.

Note!!

With a severe bruise of the coccyx, the formation of intermuscular and deep muscle hematomas quite often occurs, accompanied by periodically arising and fading pain.

In some cases, the victim experiences frequent urge to urinate or, conversely, delay. The temperature rises and headaches occur.

ICD code -10

In the international classification of diseases, types of tailbone bruises are marked with the following codes:

• minor bruises – S30.0;
• dislocations and subluxations – S33.2;
• closed fracture – S32.20;
• open fracture – S32.21.

In case of subluxation of the coccyx, the diagnosis indicates the number of damaged vertebrae - from 1 to 5 and designate them C01-C05.

Symptoms of bruise

If a person falls on his tailbone, the first symptom of injury is pain. But besides this, it is worth paying attention to a number of other signs that indicate the need to receive immediate medical attention. These include:

• Pain syndrome in the lumbar region and lower extremities.
• Discomfort subsides at rest and intensifies with physical activity.
• Swelling and hematoma in the area of ​​injury.
• Throbbing, sharp or nagging pain in the lower back.

Unpleasant sensations greatly intensify when palpating the damaged area, during sexual intercourse, during defecation or prolonged stay in one position.

First aid: place the victim on his stomach, apply a cold compress

Clinical picture

Often a bruise is characterized by the absence of obvious manifestations of damage. After the initial sharp pain during the blow, it gradually subsides and sometimes disappears completely. It may seem that everything went well, but after some time a hematoma and a painful area at the site of injury are discovered. Pain appears when standing up, during defecation and sitting for a long time on a hard surface.

In severe cases, the pain does not subside and this most likely indicates a dislocation or fracture of the coccyx. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to contact a medical institution to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

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First aid

A fallen person, especially if it is a child, requires assistance in the first minutes after the fall. This will eliminate the likelihood of developing an inflammatory process and complications. The patient is required to lie on his stomach, while the impact site is examined for bruises. What should you do first?

• Apply ice to the bruise, a wet compress, or frozen meat/vegetables/drink wrapped in cloth.
• Pain relief with ointment or anti-inflammatory drug (Ibuprofen, Diclofenac).
• If an extensive hematoma and rapidly developing swelling are detected, it is necessary to call an ambulance.
• Do not move the victim, do not change his position while waiting for doctors. Provide him with bed rest.

Knowing what to do if you bruise your tailbone, you can detect serious damage in time and get help. If the blow was too strong and there is a possibility of displacement, then you should not smear the injury site with any medications. This will complicate further diagnosis or distort the clinical picture.

Which doctor should I contact?

The first specialist to be contacted when a tailbone is bruised is a therapist. He conducts additional research and refers to a specialist. The therapist can prescribe symptomatic treatment to alleviate the patient's condition during diagnosis. Usually the consultation lasts no more than 5-10 minutes - during this time the doctor has time to make a diagnosis and choose a course of treatment.

If, based on the results of a comprehensive examination, it is determined that the tailbone pain is not due to damage, a consultation with a proctologist will be required. The doctor conducts a palpable examination to identify possible tumors.

A surgeon's examination is required if a nerve is pinched or cartilage is dislocated. A specialist can eliminate the cause of pain without surgery. In some cases, he refers the patient to a massage therapist. If the cause of pain in the tailbone is a hernia or tumor, the surgeon recommends removing the formation.

Diagnostics

When a person hits his tailbone, the doctor first determines the circumstances of the injury. After this, an external examination of the damaged area is carried out; if there is no swelling, the sacrum and coccyx are palpated. To clarify the diagnosis, the following is prescribed:

Inflammation of the coccyx in women

• X-ray in several projections.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.
• CT scan.

In the process of collecting anamnesis, the doctor clarifies how long the tailbone has been hurting, and whether the patient can lead a normal life. If he has experienced discomfort for a long time and there is swelling and inflammation in the area, then hospitalization and hardware tests and laboratory tests are required.

Physiotherapy

Therapeutic exercise for bruises of the sacrum and coccyx is aimed at improving their blood supply, restoring nerve conduction, and relieving pain. Before engaging in recreational gymnastics, a course of massage is required to relieve post-traumatic muscle spasms.

Set of exercises:

1. Starting position (IP) – “on all fours” (on your knees with emphasis on your hands). Slowly alternately raise your legs and straighten them to a position parallel to the floor. Hold your leg for 3-5 seconds and slowly return to the starting position. This is done with a preliminary exhalation. Inhale after returning to IP.
2. IP - hanging on the top beam of a wall bars. The body is relaxed. Exhaling slowly, press your lower back against the wall. Bend your knees at an angle of 130° and slowly raise them until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 3-5 seconds, return to IP.
3. Previous exercise on the floor. IP - lying on the floor, knees bent at an angle of 130° at the knees, feet on the floor. As you exhale, press your lower back to the floor, raise your legs while maintaining the angle to the level of the thigh perpendicular to the floor. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Return to IP, exhale.
4. IP - standing, with your hands resting on a table or wall. The back is straight. Exhalation. The leg is pulled back slowly until it stops. Delay 3-5 seconds, return to IP. Important: the back is straight throughout the entire exercise, when moving the leg back, do not bend in the lower back.
5. IP - as in the previous position. Exhalation. The leg is pulled backwards and to the side (at an angle of 45° to the sagittal and frontal planes).
6. IP - as in exercise 3. As you exhale, press your lower back to the floor, contract the muscles of the anus (pull it in). Delay 6-10 seconds. Return to IP.

A set of exercises for the tailbone to help cope with pain

Treatment options

Treatment of a bruised tailbone requires restricting physical activity, prescribing drug therapy, and after relieving the pain, prescribing a course of physiotherapy. Only an integrated approach can completely cure an injury and eliminate the occurrence of problems in the future.

If the bruise is mild, then therapy is carried out on an outpatient basis. Discomfort goes away within 7 days. Reducing physical activity helps to relieve pain, medications promote regenerated cartilage tissue. To speed up the recovery process, you should follow a number of tips and recommendations from doctors:

• Apply cooling compresses for the first two days after injury.
• Minimize the amount of physical activity, do not sit at the computer, try to lie more on your stomach or side.
• It is prohibited to visit baths, saunas, or carry out warming procedures.
• When walking, try to shift the center of gravity to the hips and gluteal muscles. Avoid sharp turns, careless movements, and squats.
• Eat right, enrich your diet with foods rich in fiber (blueberries, rice, crackers, milk), drink more than 2 liters of liquid.
• Using an orthopedic ring or pillow when sitting on a chair.

The main goal of conservative therapy is to relieve pain, eliminate hematoma and stop the inflammatory process. For this purpose, medications are prescribed.

Drug therapy

After making a diagnosis, the doctor prescribes a set of medications aimed at improving the patient’s general condition and recovering from injury. It includes the following groups of medicines:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Diclofenac).
• Blockade (lidocaine solution with the addition of Traumeel S).
• Suppositories with Novocaine.
• Chondroprotectors (“Arthra”, “Dona”, “Teraflex”).
• Sedatives (leonwort tincture, valerian root, Sedasen).

The form of the drug is selected individually. Some patients are recommended suppositories and NSAID ointments, as there is a high risk of side effects, while others receive injections to obtain quick results and avoid effects on the gastric mucosa. Sedatives are needed to eliminate irritability, stress and improve the patient’s emotional background. Limiting physical activity and staying on your stomach for a long time often leads to feelings of depression and anxiety.

Physiotherapy

Various physiotherapeutic procedures speed up the recovery process after injury. They are prescribed by a doctor, depending on the presence of contraindications and the general condition of the patient. The following techniques are commonly used:

• Ultra-high frequency therapy (UHF). It involves treatment with heat, which is generated due to electromagnetic fields. As a result, the patient gets rid of acute pain, swelling and inflammation.
• Sinusoidal modulated currents (SMC). They affect damaged tissues and, due to irritation of nerve receptors, effectively promote pain relief and eliminate tissue swelling.
• Infrared radiation therapy. Like other techniques, it effectively relaxes the tense area, eliminates pain, and promotes the effective treatment of the inflammatory process and neuralgic pain syndrome.

Other physical therapy techniques are also used. Courses are prescribed for an average of 3-4 days, after which the results are monitored. If there are side effects, a more gentle procedure is selected or a visit to the physiotherapist is canceled for a while.

A doctor's examination is required to diagnose a coccyx injury.

Physiotherapy

After eliminating the acute pain syndrome, the patient is prescribed exercises aimed at strengthening the muscle corset and increasing blood flow to the damaged tissue. It is recommended to visit a physical therapy room no earlier than a week after the injury. All movements are carried out under the supervision of a specialist and must be smooth, without sharp turns. Typically, the complex includes the following exercises from the following techniques developed by doctors:

• Gymnastics of Doctor Bubnovsky.
• Dikul's exercises.
• Qigong.
• Combined gymnastics Pilyuiko.

Independent exercise immediately after pain relief is strictly prohibited, as it can only aggravate problems with the spine. Physical activity and visits to the exercise therapy room are strictly limited in time.

Massage

It is strictly forbidden to massage the bruised area yourself; you should stand up and sit down with caution. For a mild injury to the tailbone, the doctor may prescribe a visit to the massage room. Massaging the damaged area will increase blood flow in the problem area and quickly restore cartilage and connective tissue. On average, 10 sessions are enough.

Surgical intervention

If conservative therapy does not help in treating a bruised tailbone, or the patient is diagnosed with serious damage, then surgical intervention is prescribed. Indications for it include:

• Extensive hemorrhage in the coccyx area. The operation eliminates blood clots and stops bleeding by cauterizing the blood vessels.
• Development of a purulent process. The surgeon opens the damaged area, washes it, treats it with a disinfectant, and stitches it.
• Fracture of the coccyx or the presence of a displaced vertebra. In this case, stabilization of the spine, or removal of several parts of the coccyx, is required.

Surgery is prescribed only as a last resort if the problem cannot be solved in any other way. Rehabilitation will require a long period of bed rest and a diet to avoid constipation.

Conservative methods of therapy

First of all, it is necessary to minimize the load on the injured area and avoid sudden movements. To do this, for two to three weeks it is advisable to completely eliminate the injured person from sitting, hot baths and warming ointments, and sleep only on the side or stomach.

To reduce swelling and pain, cold compresses are applied and non-steroidal painkillers, gels and ointments with a cooling effect are used. In this case, you should not smear the edges of wounds and damaged areas of skin. For their rapid healing, special means should be used. Problems with defecation are relieved with the help of laxatives. Various homeopathic medicines also help reduce swelling, resolve hematomas and accelerate the restoration of the skin at the site of injury.

After stabilizing the condition and relieving the pain syndrome, they begin to use warming compresses and do special rehabilitation exercises to resolve the hematomas, gradually increasing the number of approaches and range of movements.

To speed up the recovery process, various physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed:

• Thermal effects - UHF, diathermy.
• Stimulation of nerve endings with special currents - electrophoresis, interference therapy, diadynamic therapy.
• Ultrasound treatment – ​​ultraphonophoresis.
• Ultraviolet ray therapy - mid-wave ultraviolet irradiation.
• Massotherapy.

At home, you can use alcohol compresses with various components: honey, iodine, analgin. Rubbing a combination of honey and vinegar or fir oil into the tailbone area (if there is no damage to the skin), followed by wrapping the lower back in a woolen cloth, helps.

Possible consequences

If you notice symptoms of a tailbone bruise, you should consult a doctor, otherwise there is a high probability of unpleasant consequences. Possible complications are:

• Pathological changes in the area of ​​the coccyx and sacrum. For women, these are problems with labor, for men, with the functioning of the genitourinary system.
• Difficulty defecating and decreased sexual activity.
• Chronic pain in the lumbar region, especially intensifying when the weather changes, and with prolonged physical activity.
• Problems during pregnancy, the occurrence of unwanted complications.
• Hematoma encapsulation, fibrous membrane formation and tumor development.
• Cyst formation.
• Inflammatory processes in the intestines.

A blow to the coccyx area can lead to displacement of the vertebra, change in the axis of the spine, and damage to the spinal joints. The spread of the blow also provokes a violation of venous outflow.

Back injuries never go unnoticed for a person, they can be especially dangerous if they are sustained in a fall. Therefore, if the tailbone is damaged, you should immediately consult a doctor to determine the severity of the situation, prescribe appropriate treatment and physiotherapy. This will avoid unwanted consequences in the future. Women should be especially careful about such injuries, as a bruise can affect future pregnancy and childbirth.

Preventive measures

It is not always possible to predict a fall on your butt from a height, but you can protect yourself by following simple precautions:

• In winter, wear comfortable shoes, preferably with anti-slip soles.
• Use caution when playing sports.
• Avoid going down steep snow hills on ice.
• Include foods rich in vitamin D in your diet.
• Follow traffic rules when riding a bicycle.
• Hit your butt on the ground or sports equipment as little as possible when doing physical education.

When a person begins to fall backward, he reflexively puts out his arms. However, this action can lead to a fracture or dislocation of the limb. In such cases, it is better to group, as if doing a somersault, so as not to damage the spine.

If a tailbone bruise occurs, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible without self-medicating. When complications occur, the patient's quality of life decreases. The danger of consequences is especially high for women who plan to bear a child. If the coccyx has been previously damaged, childbirth may be complicated in the future. Old injuries are difficult to treat, so it is necessary to undergo an examination immediately after the injury.