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  • tailbone pain - coccydynia - coccygodynia Coccyx pain is often caused by falling backwards or by childbirth, though the cause of pain is unknown in about a third of cases. It makes it very painful to sit down. There are effective treatments available, and the great majority of sufferers can be cured. You're not alone, and you're not going mad! First of all, see a doctor. Unfortunately, many general practitioners do not take this coccyx pain seriously. Coccyx pain often goes away within a few months after it starts External manipulation of the coccyx consists of pulling the tip of the coccyx backwards through the skin just above the anus. Internal manipulation of the coccyx is carried out by the therapist placing a gloved finger into the anus of the patient, and gently massaging or stretching the muscles attached to the coccyx. Some therapists also gently pull the coccyx into its normal position, if it is out of position. Five people have reported that they tried the Bowen technique, which is described as a series of gently rolling connective tissue moves, using a light touch and may be done through clothing. Two of these reported success, and three found no improvement. There is a chiropractic treatment using an instrument called an Activator, which delivers a small controlled mechanical shock or "punch" to the area it is in contact with. It does not seem to be used much for coccyx problems. If you use drugs to help with coccyx pain, you need to be careful not to use them to mask the pain, sit longer, and aggravate the cause of the pain. Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDs, include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and many other drugs, some available only on prescription. They can reduce both inflammation and pain. The dose necessary to reduce inflammation may be greater than that to reduce pain. They are widely used for headaches and other pains, and for diseases like arthritis where inflammation of tissue is a large part of the problem. NSAIDs, as well as reducing inflammation and pain, affect the mucus layer which protects the gut. They can therefore cause bleeding and peptic ulcers in some people (though this is not a problem for everyone). A pain clinic doctor told me that long term use of NSAIDs can cause kidney problems as you get older. These may be serious - you may not notice symptoms until 80% of kidney function is gone. For coccydynia NSAIDs may be given as tablets to swallow, as creams or gels to be applied to the skin, or as suppositories. Although NSAIDs can be effective within half an hour for pains like headaches, a longer course is needed to reduce the pain of coccydynia, and results may not be felt for a week or two.

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