Coccyx pain / coccyx pillow

by Joanne
(South Africa, Durban)

Coccyx pain / coccyx pillow

I injured my coccyx on a motorbike in January 2012 (its now Nov 2012)and I still have quite a lot of discomfort when I sit. Please help !!





Hello Joanne,
Miserable stuff a coccyx injury. You don't mention whether there was actually trauma, but if so then an X-ray to rule out a fracture would have been important. Not really important any more, it would have healed by now, but possible squiff and subluxated. More for academic interest.

There are two parts to successful coccyx pain treatment. First get the weight off the coccyx using a donut type cushion. You can buy them, or make one. Look at Coccyx pillow ...

Secondly, if it's subluxated, and it probably is, but only a careful examination can establish that, the subluxation must be reduced. This is done 9/10 times externally without fuss or bother. But the tenth... that is a bother. Sometimes a subluxated coccyx doesn't respond to the external treatment, and has to be done rectally. It's not painful, doesn't take long, about two minutes, but yes is a bit embarrassing and awkward.
If you're a bit self conscious, take a friend along with you, and perhaps consult a female chiropractor. There are plenty in Durban. Before making an appointment, ask if they are prepared to do an internal coccyx, should it be necessary. Usually it won't.
Also important is to check the sacrum as a fall on the coccyx often also injures the sacroiliac joint ...

You can find Durban chiropractors at Chiropractor Durban ...
Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Dr Barrie Lewis


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Interesting challenges of the day

1. Mr S is a 76 year old man with neck pain of some 9 months duration. Luckily, most of the discomfort is upper cervical which is only rarely arthritic; his lower cervical spine is a degenerative mess that I've left alone. After seven treatments his pain and stiffness is 50 percent better, and he's happy in the circumstances. He can sleep through the night now and that makes a huge difference.

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Despite a hectic job, she wisely took my advice and stayed home for what I call exercising bed rest.

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6. I too have had serious lower back issues, luckily fixed by my own chiropractor; so I too have to do my exercises, take care when lifting supers full of honey, gardening and using the chainsaw. Regaining the function of your spine is just as important as the pain.

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8. This 65 year old lady is a serious gardener; every day she is bending, lifting and digging for 2 to 3 hours a day. It regularly catches her in the sacroiliac joint, so she has a treatment once a month that sorts it out. She does her lower back exercises faithfully.

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11. Mrs C has been having severe headaches, and taking a lot of analgesics. It's a non complicated upper cervical facet syndrome, and she's doing well.

12. Mr D is a 38 old year man with chronic shoulder pain after a rotator cuff tear playing cricket. It responded well to treatment, but he knows he must do his exercises every day; for two years he couldn't sleep on that shoulder.

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And so the day goes; chiropractors shouldn't be treating the elderly most medical sites state but that's so much bunkum.

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