[CamoChick]

I fell at dirt track last Sunday night and landed on a big rock. I thought last week it was just bruised but I can't sleep and get comfortable sitting and it's been over a week since this happen. If it is broke can they do anything?

[CarolineElizabeth]

Broken Tailbone Treatment
Treatment aims to manage pain until the bone can heal. Even if the coccyx has moved out of its normal position, doctors usually do not try to correct the misalignment. Muscles in the area are powerful and can pull the coccyx back out of position. Because of the location of the coccyx and the number of muscles attached to it, immobilization is very difficult. That muscle movement also delays healing.

The area may remain painful for an extended period of time. You may be advised to stay in bed initially, or move only as comfort allows. After a reasonable healing time, steroid injections or surgery may be considered if severe pain persists.

Pain Relief
You may be given medication to ease the pain. To reduce discomfort during bowel movements:

Drink plenty of fluids and eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Stool softeners may help decrease straining during bowel movements.
Sitz baths can help relieve muscle spasms. A sitz bath involves soaking the anal area in warm tap water for 10-20 minutes.

Sitting can be very uncomfortable after a coccyx fracture. Suggestions to make sitting less painful include:

Sit on an air cushion or doughnut pad.
Alternate between sitting on one side of the buttock or the other.
Try sitting on a hard chair. Sinking into a soft chair sometimes increases the pressure on the coccyx.
Slouch to move your weight forward and off the coccyx. Note: This advice holds only until you are well enough to sit properly again.

Surgery
If pain continues and causes persistent disability, a coccygectomy might be recommended. During this procedure, the doctor removes the coccyx.

As a rad tech, I can tell you that an x-ray of the coccyx while you are laying on your back is difficult to see because usually there is stool or gas obscuring it. A lateral x-ray (laying on your side) is usually the best way to visualize it, but protocol usually calls for 3 different images anyway.
Source(s):
http://www.al-hikmah.org/coccyx-fracture…
3 years ago

[CarolineElizabeth]

This post has been edited by CarolineElizabeth: 14 September 2009 - 11:25 AM

[MeWhoElse]

Mine was broken during child birth and they told me the only thing they can do is remove it. I feel for you the pain can be excrutiating. The pain was so great I would faint trying to get up. Pain pills and a doughnut pillow is the ONLY things that helped me. To this day it is not right and never will be...

[Jack Reacher]

I can tell you how I would know.

I would be notified by a blood curtailing SCREAM that I would quickly identify as coming from my mouth!

I hope it's not broken.

[SPORTS SOURCE]

When I was pregnant with DD I was working as a teacher for Mentally Disabled adults. I was teaching ceramics when a student was stooped on her knees working on a piece. I told her to get in a chair - NOT expecting her to take MY chair. So, when I started to sit down, I hit the cement floor. I cracked my tailbone but there wasn't anything that could be done. During childbirth, it caused more damage to it. OUCH!! It was miserable and excruciating pain and made it .impossible to sit or drive for long periods of time But, as others have said, it should heal on it's own. It will just take awhile - try to be as comfortable as you can.

[CamoChick]

When I was pregnant with DD I was working as a teacher for Mentally Disabled adults. I was teaching ceramics when a student was stooped on her knees working on a piece. I told her to get in a chair - NOT expecting her to take MY chair. So, when I started to sit down, I hit the cement floor. I cracked my tailbone but there wasn't anything that could be done. During childbirth, it caused more damage to it. OUCH!! It was miserable and excruciating pain and made it .impossible to sit or drive for long periods of time But, as others have said, it should heal on it's own. It will just take awhile - try to be as comfortable as you can.

Thanks Do you think I should go to the Dr? If nothing can be done I really don't want to waste the money.

[FreeBird]

I feel roller skating one time - I remember mine hurting for like 6 weeks.

So, suck it up and no complaining!

[livingmydream]

I hope you feel better soon.

[surepip]

Only way to find out for sure if anything is broke is to get it xrayed.

Depending on how hard you fell, and what you hit, you may have a hematoma, basically a gigantic bruise inside well below the surface.

I took a queer and nasty fall on a somewhat slick set of steps a month ago, and came down HARD on the edge of the step on my butt. I got up and shook it off.

Over the next week I was bruised TERRIBLY, but could walk OK and everything seemed in OK working order. Swollen and really UGLY looking, but I took lots of ibuprofen [I normally take 1000mg a day anyway for arthritis].

After 2+ weeks, the bruising was going away, but I was still swollen, so I finally went to see the doctor.

Nothing broken [although he did let me know my degenerative bone disease is not getting any better and letting me know my hips will have to be replaced at sometime in the future], but I had a large hematoma. He cut me, and drained blood for 30 minutes. The incision was tender, to say the least, for 4 or 5 days, but the swollen areas started to recede at once and feel much better. I still have some lumps, but they are improving.

I threw away the crocs I was wearing and hope I have only chalked up a new experience.

Note, the doc also did give me some nice pain meds that worked much better than the ibuprfen. All in all I am glad I broke down and went to get it checked, and wished I had done so sooner.

[gaheart]

I broke mine when pregnant by missing a step when I was trying to sit down. I caught the edge of the step and hit my tail bone. The only thing that helped me was using a doughnut cushion. I would suggest going to the doctor too to get meds that will help you deal. It does take a very long time to heal. I also had the doctor tell me that in some cases it can cause headaches. It can cause the nerves in the back to get pulled downward thus causing headaches. I've been lucky enough to have never had headaches from it but you can feel where the tailbone did not heal right. I hope it gets better for you soon.

[MsGaStorm]

I was 11 and had a "friend" who thought they were being funny by pulling a chair out from under me and I landed on my tailbone on the tile floor at school. I was skinny and didn't have alot of "padding" to soften the blow LOL. The first couple of weeks I would pass out or almost pass out in pain just from trying to get up and go to the bathroom. My mom took me to a doctor who said because I was so young the tailbone was still cartiledge and was just "bruised" but would have broken if I had been older. I was never able to do a situp again in gym class or even as an adult. As an adult doctors have seen on my xrays (for other conditions) that the tip of my tailbone curves too much inward, like a hook instead of a gentle curve. So yes it did and can do permanent damage.

I would say if you can walk without pain, and in a few weeks try a situp without pain, then it is probably just bruised. Yes you can have internal bruises with no external bruises showing. A simple xray would be able to tell you though.

[MissSophie]

Broke mine and it required surgery. Once sitting; and you get up - pain shoots through the area. Same thing when you go to sit down. Hurts like crazy as you sit and takes a while before it will "settle" and you can sit semi-comfortably. I feel for you. You really need to see a doctor.

[SoapMom]

You would have NO doubt that you broke it. Seriously. And it sounds like you may have.

The last time I broke mine, it required an ambulance ride to the hospital. I fell down a short flight of stairs in our home and landed full force on my tailbone, on the edge of a step. Fortunately, mine didn't require surgery, but it required sitting on a donut for awhile and taking pain meds.

I'd go have it checked.

[CamoChick]

Thanks everyone! I can not stand to be on pain meds. I have some 800 mg ibuprofen I'll just take that. I have been trying to rest some but when I get up in the mornings it hurts worse. I think more I am still it gets stiff or something.

[old hippie]

YOU'R BUTT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[feelip]

Don't feel bad. My ass is broke too.

[Guard dad]

Don't feel bad. My ass is broke too.

Lemme guess, it has a crack in it?

[CamoChick]

Yall are so funny!