Tailbone Pain When Sitting? You Don't Have to Keep Shifting in Your Chair
You sit down in a matatu, an office chair or a church bench, and a sharp pain hits right at the base of your spine. You find yourself leaning on one buttock, shifting constantly, or dreading the moment you have to stand up. This is tailbone pain, and it can make everyday life miserable.
What is coccydynia?
Coccydynia (also called coccygodynia) is pain in the tailbone, the small bone at the very bottom of your spine. It is most often triggered by sitting.
Women are about five times more likely to get it than men, partly because of pregnancy and childbirth.
Common causes include:
- A fall onto your backside
- A difficult or assisted childbirth
- Long hours of sitting on hard surfaces
- Tight or overactive pelvic floor muscles
- Rapid weight loss or weight gain
Common signs include:
- Pain at the very bottom of the spine, worse when sitting
- Sharp pain when standing up from a chair
- Pain when leaning back while seated
- Tenderness when the tailbone is touched
- Pain during bowel movements
The good news
Most cases settle within a few weeks to months. Conservative care works for about 90% of people, so surgery is rarely needed.
How physiotherapy helps
At Katasi Physiotherapy, your plan may include:
- Sitting advice and a wedge or cut-out cushion to take pressure off the tailbone
- Gentle hands-on mobilisation of the coccyx
- Release of tight pelvic floor and hip muscles
- Stretching for the hips and mid-back to reduce load
- A gradual plan to return to comfortable sitting
Book your assessment
You deserve to sit comfortably again. Book a private, respectful assessment at Katasi Physiotherapy, Mogotio Road off Muthithi Road, Westlands. Call or WhatsApp 0705 717 353.
Source: Physiopedia – Coccygodynia (Tailbone Pain)
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