Coccydynia is a pain felt in your coccyx; it is the last bone at the bottom of the spine (tailbone). You can get coccydynia if you injure or strain your coccyx or the surrounding muscles and ligaments. In most, cases, the pain will improve over a few weeks or months, but occasionally it can last much longer and severely affect your ability to carry out daily activities.
The main coccyx pain symptom is pain and tenderness in the area just above the buttocks. The pain may:
- Be dull and achy most of the time, with occasional sharp pains
- Be worse when sitting down, moving from sitting to standing, standing for long periods, having intercourse or having a bowel movement
- Make it very difficult to sleep and carry out everyday activities, such as driving or bending over
Some people also have back pain, shooting leg pains (sciatica) and painful buttocks and hips. Common causes of coccydynia include: childbirth, an injury or accident (such as fall), repeated or prolonged strain on the coccyx, poor posture, being overweight or being underweight.
