Tailbone pain...

So I've seemed to have injured my tailbone (I think from a poor bicycle seat!) and its killing me- its so hard to sit all day and when I stand up from sitting, I have to brace myself for sharp shooting pains and its now messing with my back muscles because I contort in odd positions

I don't think there is much one can do for tailbone pain- do they sell those donut pillows here or can anyone recommend a good orthopedic pillow?  I don't think it would do me much good to go to the GP, or would it? 

This is what I've had for the last three weeks.  I feel your pain (Truly)

The GP told me to take 400 mg ibuprofen (Basically two advil) three times a day.  It's an anti-inflammatory and supposed to help.  (It's not done much for me, but then I used to take four advil at a time)

It seems to be getting better, but it's moving downwards as well to my butt and thighs.

I hope it gets better soon!

It sounds like sciatica. I've had it since 2002 since a nasty fall down my stairs. I went to a regular doctor, who prescribed painkillers and physical therapy. Regular acupressure massage really helps, but the best by far has been acupuncture.

Thanks... painkillers here I come- I don't normally take them, so hopefully it will help me

Thanks... painkillers here I come- I don't normally take them, so hopefully it will help me

I'm the same way (Now)  I went back to the Dr Monday and he prescribed heavy pain killers this time.  I decided against taking them though.  It just masks the pain, does not fix me. (10 years ago, I would have taken them in a second though!!!)

Tailbone pain is not necessarily sciatica, though compensating for the tailbone can aggravate sciatica.

I originally hurt my tailbone on a bad bike seat. For a few years after that, I was often quite uncomfortable. Ibuprofen helped but you can't take it indefinitely. It finally got better but there were always uncomfortable chairs for me.

After the birth of my first child, it got very bad again. This time I was lucky and had private health insurance so I was able to see a chiropractor cheaply. Actually, I saw 2 - one in Taunton and one in Exeter. Both used a combination of chiro, acupuncture, osteopathy and physio.

I loved my chiropractor!

I'm the same way (Now)  I went back to the Dr Monday and he prescribed heavy pain killers this time.  I decided against taking them though.  It just masks the pain, does not fix me. (10 years ago, I would have taken them in a second though!!!)

I was given vicodin and I do keep a bottle only for unbearable pain. I rely on alternative therapies and the anti-inflammatories mostly. I forgot to mention my awesome chiropractor. I've seen him on and off since the fall and I get the acupuncture treatments in the same office. It definitely keeps the pain under control.

I broke my tailbone when I was about 24 and that damn thing still hurts me sometimes!

Ibuprofen, sleep on your side and try to build up your back and core strength as much as possible.

Thanks everyone

Is there any inflamation around the tailbone?  Even if there isn't any visable, you could have a pilonidal cyst:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst (warning, a bit of a graphic picture in the article)

A friend of mine had one for years before it showed surface swelling.  When they finally went in to take it out, they lost count of the number of scars in there, but they think it inflamed over 20 times.  It's not just something heavy people get, and it feels like a broken tailbone sometimes.  I was thin when I had one, and I went to the doctor thinking I bruised or chipped it when I fell about a week before.  And I know what a broken bone feels like, believe me.  In the end, I had to have surgery on it a few years later, but I've been fine since then.