Coccyx Pain
Your coccyx is the small bone located at the base of your spine, near the top of your bottom. It’s commonly known as your tailbone. So essentially, coccyx pain (coccydynia) is pain in your tailbone. This pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp pain, and it’s often worse when sitting, having a bowel movement or during sex.
It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one, but coccyx pain is incredibly common. In Australia, 20 per cent of our population experience it, and women are five times more likely to develop it than men – that’s more than 5 million Australians who suffer from coccyx pain.
Sadly, coccyx pain is underreported because many people don’t realise that something can be done to help it. Left untreated, it can be highly distracting and impact many aspects of your life – like work, exercise, social activities and even intimacy. You might find yourself unable to sit through a meal or dreading every bowel action.
There’s no need to suffer in silence.
Fortunately, we have good news for you. Your coccyx pain can be treated, so there’s no need to suffer in silence. The majority of people experiencing coccyx pain can be helped. And at Pelvic Health Matters, we’re here to help you.
Left untreated, coccyx pain can be frustrating, distracting and impact many aspects of your life. Fortunately, though, our postgraduate-qualified pelvic health physiotherapists can help treat it.
Common signs & symptoms of coccyx pain
Everyone’s different, but if you suffer from coccyx pain, you’re probably familiar with the following:
- Pain with sitting, especially on hard surfaces or leaning back
- Pain when standing up from sitting
- Pain during a bowel movement
- Painful sex
If you have coccyx pain, you might also find yourself avoiding exercise, socialising or doing things you enjoy.
Risk factors & causes of coccyx pain
- Trauma or a fall, landing directly on your buttocks
- Pregnancy or childbirth
- Repeated and prolonged sitting
- Repetitive motion, e.g. cycling
- Poor posture
- Tight and tense pelvic floor muscles
- Stress and anxiety
- A sensitised nervous system
Our Proven Pathway for Treating Coccyx Pain
Discover what matters
You’re assessed as a whole person
We begin by taking the time to learn all about you as a whole person, not just a patient. So, your postgraduate qualified pelvic health physiotherapist will gather the following information:
- QUESTIONNAIRE: You’ll complete a pelvic health questionnaire online before your first visit. This helps us understand about your history, current health concerns and what matters to you.
- 1-on-1 CONSULTATION: Here, we’ll take the time to learn about you and your coccyx pain. We believe a holistic approach enables us to understand how your specific physical, emotional and lifestyle factors influence your pelvic health.
- THOROUGH ASSESSMENT: This includes examination of your lumbar spine, pelvic joints and muscles, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, a bowel diary and questionnaires to understand your thoughts, feelings and environment.
- CONNECTING THE DOTS: Now we’ve discovered so much about you and your coccyx pain, we can explore how it all fits together. You might have had a few scans and lots of external treatment, but you still have pain. Often, the answer lies in tight pelvic floor muscles that attach to the coccyx, a sensitive nervous system and a fear of sitting.
- SET GOALS: We’ll help you set meaningful pelvic health goals such as:
- Comfortably sit through a meeting
- Enjoy sex without pain
- Go bike riding with my mates
Restore what matters
You’ll have a personalised pelvic health plan.
Step 2 is where we start putting things into action. Together, we’ll choose treatment options backed by the latest research, all tailored to suit your lifestyle. You’ll learn about pain science and how your nervous system and body work together. We’ll help you understand what’s going on and what you can do to ease your pain.
You’ll then learn practical ways to break the pain cycle by calming your nerves, muscles and even your thoughts and emotions. This might include techniques like mindfulness or breathing exercises.
We’ll also begin pelvic floor muscle training. You’ll discover how to connect with this hidden muscle, and build skills that support your recovery. Your program will be designed just for you, focusing on areas like muscle relaxation and pelvic floor release if needed. We’ll also guide you through gentle movement practices and strategies to help you return to comfortable sitting, at your own pace.
Also, you’ll be given excellent resources and tools to help you progress. You’ll be armed with all the things!
ABOUT YOUR APPOINTMENTS: Together, we’ll work out how often we should see each other. We’ll agree on what works best for you, your commitments and your finances.
Enjoy what matters
You’ll be living your best life.
The final step is to ensure that you achieve all the meaningful goals you set at the start of your journey. You might also find that you can embrace new possibilities you hadn’t considered, such as sitting through a movie or taking an international flight. You’ll have all the valuable skills to ensure pain management in any situation - without the need for ongoing appointments.
Sometimes, though, life’s little surprises can throw things off track, and you might find yourself needing a little reset. A busy time at work that requires more sitting and allows less time for self-care can all make managing pain more difficult. No matter what’s going on, just know - we’re always here for you, ready to help whenever you need it.
Read about Luca 19 yrs
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Pelvic Health Matters
New name.
Same exceptional care.
Formerly known as Women’s & Men’s Health Physiotherapy, our new name reflects both what we believe in and what we do. We have an unwavering belief that pelvic health matters for everyone, at every stage of life.
Same phone number: 03 8823 8300
New email: physio@pelvichealth.com.au