Tail bone pain: What can I do?

I have tailbone pain from a collapsed L4/L5 and near collapsed L5/S1. I have not had any injections in that area, but I did have an injection at Vanderbilt in my cervical (neck) that wound up causing me more pain than I originally had. That's not to say an injection for your issue will cause additional pain. Many people have had injections and received relief from pain. Just remember, injections are a temporary solution and you can have only so many before they cause other issues. Wishing you the best.

I have had SI Joint injections they have worked well but don't help tailbone and pain going down rt leg to knee. I did see a spine Dr. He did say there are so many things wrong with my low back he would not recommend spinal surgery for his mother. It may mess it us more. He recommended injections until they don't work any more. But this caudal I don't know ??? Help what is it and does it hurt ?

Bursa inflammation. Mine reacted to aspirin and/naprosin. Cutting not permitted but shots helped a lot but were painful to get on

It is always best to be with a neurosurgeon for anything with the spine. Sometimes a physical therapist can help. I only know my story and mine was forward. A spine dr said nothing he could do. True but such a disservice not to suggest going to a pelvic floor specialist. I found through a search coccyx.org. It list physical therapists all over USA. Find one who has a doctorate in physical therapy.

Very helpful thanks.

Hi Suerc, I have suffered for 3 years with this pain. I was too embarrassed to tell the doctor. I have cervical injuries where I have had 2 fusions. Also injuries to my lower back. Now I have issues with the thoracic spine. I have had procedures for my cervical and lower spine to burn the nerves. I can't remember how to spell it at this time. They had worked for about five years. I might look into it again. I was going for it last year but ended up hospitalized then fractured a long bone in my foot and it was in a cast for 4 months. I would recommend having a consult with a pain management doctor to see if the could help you.

You sound just like me. So sorry for you. I started out with CPRS in my left calf and ankle from a car accident. Then spinal stenosis of my cervical spine. With surgery. Many injections for that. No I get Rafio frequencies. They last for 6 mo. Then shattered my L4 in the boat. They wanted to do a 4 level fusion. I said no, I wanted to to wait 1 yr and see what I have. So far I am glad I havn't. I have heard of so failed fusions. I am walking taking care of 4 grandchildren. Yes I have pain. I try to stay away from pain meds because of the kids. I have been thru 3 pain clinics. Not because of drugs or behavior. Last on they decided I was not in there network. New manager. Had been going there for 13 yrs. I have open access and my Dr referred Mr there. So I had to look for a new clinic. With chronic pain like us changing is not that easy. They all want to try new things , change meds. It's so frustrating. Prayers to you

Hi suerc, I am so sorry for you also. I am glad I found this site. I have had the two cervical fusions, one on my 5 and 6 cervical spine and the second on the 6 and 7 cervical spine. I also needed back surgery but I did say no to that. The first was not as successful as the second. I do also have spinal stenosis along with other spinal issues. I have had so many accidents that my spine was injured very bad. I have 2 grandchildren that I do care for a day or two a week but now I am auto immune compromised so I can't be around them when they are sick. I had also got shingles in 2020 and I believe some of the itching and pain is associated with that. I do get itching everywhere but not as bad as my back. I am also tired of being prescribed meds every time I go to a doctor. Thank you for your response.

Prayers for you. Any time you wat to talk I am her

Chronic Pain in Coccyx Region
Thought I'd share my experiences with chronic pain of the coccyx because no doctor I've been to has seen chronic pain develop this way.

How I developed the pain:
Around age 22 I developed a sensitivity in my tailbone region after using a metal fold out chair for a 3-4 years as my main desk chair. 5 or so years later when getting my motorcycle license I sat on a saddle type seat for 12 hours over 2 days and the constant pressure made my sensitivity explode into full on debilitating pain. From then on I could not escape the pain except when lying prone in a very specific position.

Medical Treatment:
No broken bones or any kind of structural damage was done. X-ray and MRI show nothing wrong. I was able to get it under enough control by taking Gabapentin and Venlafaxine at the around maximum dosages and using a u-cushion while sitting. I still feel it if I sat or lay on my back. I went the route of trying caudal epidurals which ended up only giving temporary relief for around 2 weeks. After that did not help I had a neural stimulator (nevro senza) implanted which gives me addition comfort and gives me the ability to relax further and longer while sitting. The pain I feel now is somewhat dull. Almost like someone is just pushing on my tailbone with ramping intensity. It builds and reduces based on constant pressure. I am now 30 and I am still looking for more ways to remove pain and reduce side effects from the anti-depressants that I take. The side effects that I struggle with is large reduction in sexual sensitivity and labido. My doctor does not know what else I can really do other than mix around medications that I use to get the best result with the least side effects. I am now trying acupuncture but I am not really seeing huge results. My next step is going to be to take an addition medication with the hope of counter balancing the side effects of the others. Yoga does not help and I've been told PT is not an option for the coccyx because it is not a region that can really move. I have dabbled in marijuana but I didn't notice much help and I generally do not like the feeling of being high.

My life now:
When it comes down to it I am very fortunate to be able to be able to function and more or less live my life the way I used to. Even in a bed I cannot lie on my back for long (20 min) without pain developing. My only big limiting factor is how long I can sit for before I need to lie on my stomach/stand/walk and give my coccyx time to rest. Long distance commuting is very difficult on me.

Tips and advice for others:
Medications like Gabapentin and Venlafaxine do most of the work in reducing my pain.
The neuro stimulator is great because there aren't any noticeable side effects but its pain reduction is not as effective as medication in my case. They are expensive but if you can afford it I would suggest giving the trial run a try.
I have a topical pain killer (ketamine based) that I can use to control the pain even further if it gets to be too much but it does not do much more than temporary relief.

My questions:
- I have never seen a neurologist because I have been told that they focus mainly on genetic conditions and not pain related symptoms. Other than this chronic pain I do have quite a few other issues (knee pain, wrist and elbow tendonitis that comes and goes, gastro/heartburn, plantar fasciitis ) but no test has shown that I have some greater condition. Should I still see a neurologist?
- Does anyone have a similar story in how they developed their chronic pain?
- How have others with coccyx pain handled theirs?
- Has anyone been successful at combatting sexual side effects and how?
- Any other avenues that I can try that I have not yet?

I'm happy to answer questions and delve further into my experiences.

Thanks!