The remains of the tail
Some parts of your body don’t seem good for anything. The tailbone, also called tailbone, is one such. You don’t seem to need those four fused tail vertebrae above the butt crack, but they can cause quite a bit of discomfort. Bumping, bruising or breaking can be extremely painful. There are also rumors that you could go blind if you fall on the tailbone.
The tailbone forms the end of the spine and, like the cecum, for example, no longer has a clear function. It actually forms the remains of the tail, which both humans and apes are the only vertebrate species lacking. That actually makes the piece of bone about a square centimeter below the sacrum superfluous.
Annoying pain
However, your tailbone can cause quite a few problems. And tailbone pain (coccygodynia) doesn’t just go away. The pain is often located at the top of the butt crack and is usually caused by injury. If you fall on your butt, the tailbone may be bruised or broken. Sometimes it develops after childbirth or through sports such as cycling or motor racing. Sitting for hours on a narrow saddle can also cause a painful tailbone, often due to irritation or inflammation of the periosteum. Rare causes include an infection, growth, or cancer in that area. Muscle or joint disorders also sometimes lead to tailbone pain.
A broken tailbone often causes severe flaming pain. Especially if you sit on a broken tailbone, the pain is unbearable. A bruise is often accompanied by bruising or bruising and you can often see and feel a tumour, fistula or cyst on the outside.
Does it make you blind?
You sometimes hear that a fall hitting you leads to blindness. However, this is not necessary. Unlike the higher spine, there are no nerves running through the tailbone. It is therefore very unlikely that you will go blind if you fall on the tailbone. In theory it is possible. In a very hard fall, the shock can be transmitted through the spine to the head and nerves can be damaged. Blindness or deafness may result, but that depends entirely on which nerves are damaged.
Diagnose
Tailbone pain can range from an uneasiness to a flaming excruciating pain. Usually the pain arises while sitting and shifting your buttocks. The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the typical pain symptoms that have arisen as a result of an accident or childbirth. A thorough physical examination is also common. If necessary, an X-ray, MRI or CT scan is used.
In principle, a fracture heals on its own, but this can take months. If the tailbone does not heal sufficiently, the tailbone vertebrae are sometimes removed. However, not much research has been done on this yet and the results vary. Still, some people seem to benefit a lot from it. Inflammation (usually) and bruising also heal on their own. A bruised tailbone often takes three to six weeks to recover. An abscess, cyst or fistula must be surgically removed.
Against the pain?
Unfortunately, a painful tailbone often heals poorly or the pain returns. There is a good chance that you spend the day sitting and cycling, so that you continuously put pressure on your tailbone. The treatment for this pain can vary.
It often consists of taking painkillers (NSAIDs) and adjusting the sitting position. Sometimes a special cushion with a hole in it provides relief, or a special bicycle saddle. Manual therapy and pelvic floor physiotherapy can also help. There is also the option of injecting anti-inflammatories into the tailbone. In case of severe pain, there is also the option to block the nerve.
