Back Pain can range from just a niggle to major injury and can affect the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone). The physiotherapists at Grange Physiotherapy treat a lot of clients with spinal pain. It is very common in our society and the majority of the population will suffer from back pain at some point during their lives.
Occasionally falls or injury will produce instability and injury to the sacroiliac/coccyx joints. These joints are where the tail bone attaches to the pelvic and connect to the spine. Often if these structures are involved, bladder problems may emerge and may settle with treatment to the tailbone and a good exercise regime. There is a lot of research in this area and there is still a lot more to do however this may be the problem and help from an experienced physiotherapist is required. If the tailbone joints have become unstable due to injury to the ligaments or muscles then this needs to be addressed. The exercises that mainly need to be concentrated on are the lower abdominals, pelvic floor and gluteal muscles which are in the buttock. You may also need to concentrate on certain stretches to take the pressure off the joint. Find a physiotherapist who has some knowledge of the recent research in this area and make sure you have a full assessment to ensure the proper diagnosis is made. It would also be of benefit to talk to your G.P concerning these problems and get some advice. You may need to be referred to an orthopaedic specialist for further assessment and treatment, if conservative treatment is not successful.
Sitting on a comfortable coccyx specific pillow with good posture may assist in unloading the area to allow healing. Get some advice and see your physiotherapist for a full postural and biomechanical assessment of the problem.
