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!

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