What is tailbone pain?
Tailbone pain, called coccydynia in medical language, is pain at the very bottom of the spine, in the small bone just above the crease between the buttocks. It is usually sharpest when you sit, lean back, or stand up from sitting.
The tailbone is a small bone with ligaments and muscles attached, including muscles of the pelvic floor and buttocks. When those tighten or the joint is strained, sitting becomes painful.
It is uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing to talk about, but it is a recognised problem and it is treatable.
Who is helped most?
Anyone whose pain is shaped by sitting. That includes drivers and office workers, people who have recently had a fall onto the bottom, and women who have had a baby and find the tailbone sore afterwards.
It also suits people who sit on hard seats for long periods, such as a kopitiam stool, a motorbike or a lorry cab. A home visit lets us look at the real chair and car seat you use.
If your pain travels down a leg, see our page on sciatica. If it sits mainly in the low back, see lower back pain from sitting.
What do we check at the first visit?
We listen first: when it started, what makes it worse, what eases it, and whether there was a fall or a delivery. Then we look at how you move.
- How you sit and stand up, and how much weight goes to your tailbone.
- Movement in your low back, pelvis and hips.
- Tight or tender muscles in the buttocks and around the hips.
- Posture while standing, walking and lying.
- Any signs that need a doctor first, such as numbness or a recent fall with severe pain.
Examination of the pelvic floor is not needed for most people. If we think it would help, we explain why and ask your consent first, and we can refer you if you prefer a specialist.
What does treatment look like?
Treatment aims to take pressure off the tailbone and settle the muscles around it. It combines gentle hands-on techniques, hip and pelvis stretches, strengthening for the buttocks and trunk, and advice on sitting.
We teach you to shift your weight forward onto the sitting bones. You also learn to lean forward at a desk or table, and to stand up without a jolt.
Progress is gradual. We check how you manage in a day, then increase walking, standing and sitting time step by step.
What can I do this week?
Small adjustments make sitting kinder.
- Sit slightly forward on the seat, so your weight rests on the two sitting bones and not the tailbone.
- Use a cushion with a cut-out or wedge on hard chairs and in the car.
- Stand up and walk for a minute every half hour.
- When using the toilet, lean forward, keep your feet flat, and avoid straining.
- Walk daily; a gentle stroll in an Ipoh park in the cooler morning keeps the hips moving.
A warm shower can ease a tight pelvis, and a short rest lying on your side takes the load off. Stop any activity that gives sharp, shooting pain.
When should I see a doctor first?
See a doctor if the pain began after a hard fall, if you cannot sit at all, or if it has lasted a few weeks without any improvement. They may want to check for a fracture or other cause.
Go to the emergency department for new numbness around the groin or inner thighs, trouble controlling bladder or bowels, or leg weakness. Our guide on when back pain needs a doctor explains more.
How does a home visit in Ipoh work?
You message us on WhatsApp with what happened and your area of Ipoh. We reply with how a visit would run and a quote, then agree a day.
At the visit we assess, treat and teach in the same session, using your own chair, sofa and bed. Families can sit in, and a spouse can learn how to help.
Read about home physiotherapy in Ipoh or our page on back pain. Our Canning Garden centre, near Fatimah Hospital, is opening soon.
Questions people ask
The questions below come up most. If yours is missing, send it on WhatsApp and we will answer directly.