Have You Ever Bruised Your Tailbone?

Updated on October 13, 2010
R.E. asks from Justin, TX
18 answers

I fell down really hard in July. I won't describe it because it was quite embarrassing. :) After it happened, I had a tiny bruise where my tailbone is, and it was excrutiating to sit in any position. I didn't go to the doctor because everything I read said there wasn't really anything doctors would do for that except prescribe pain meds which I hate taking. We didn't think it was broken because I'd probably have been in a lot more pain. Well, here it is, almost 5 months later, and it still hurts to sit in certain chairs and at certain angles. Cushiony chairs without armrests are the worst because I can only sit comfortably if I can lean to the side. I probably look nuts at church constantly switching from side to side. And if I sit too long, it hurts so bad to stand up. Walking and standing, I'm perfectly fine and feel no pain at all. And it isn't nearly as bad as it was back in the summer, but shouldn't it be gone by now? Has anyone ever had this before? Does it EVER go away? And trust me, I'm not a wimp about pain. I was walking around with my baby the day after a c-section. I'm just so sick of this, and I'm wondering if there is anything I can do. Or is anyone out there that can tell me how long this will last???? Help! I'm tired of the pain in my butt! HAHA!

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L.H.

answers from Dallas on

I had the same thing happen a month ago. I was standing on my toilet trying to reach something and slipped and fell backward on my tailbone. I was in a ton of pain. I went to my chiropractor and my tailbone was out of place. After two appointments and some recovery I am feeling so much better.

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C.P.

answers from Dallas on

Hello R.,

yes, it takes a very long time to heal. I even had an mri done because it was still months later and it was still hurting. actually the first few months it didn't hurt. I fell when I was about 5 months pregnant and it wasn't a hard fall. I slipped and landed flat on my bottom in the blink of an eye...no time to even try to avoid falling (which was probably good). have you thought about going to a chiropractor? many places the first visit is free and it includes an xray of some sort.... good luck and 'baby' your tailbone.... ~C.~

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M.K.

answers from Houston on

I had this once, it was called coccydynia, I will tell you how i did it, so maybe you will tell lol
I had my bath robe on and my husband was holding the tie, i was leaning back, the tie broke, rest is history

anyway my coccyx was very bruised and would not heal, i had 2 cortisone shots into it, which were not pleasant but really helped a lot - you should ask your doctor.

it really took a long time to heal completely, maybe 6 months
strangely it hurts more when your stand, or it did for me.

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D.P.

answers from Dallas on

Please do not take the accident likely,i fell twice and broke my tailbone,even thou you you don't think it's a big deal,it is.there are such things as bowel program,there are lots of things that the doctor can offer to help ease the pain,both times i went to the doctor.you can do yourself a lot more harm by not going,not knowing the things you can and connot do . Best luck dealing with the pain . I work for a rehab, some times wrong move could cause paralysis not trying to scare you good luck.

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J.D.

answers from Spokane on

I have done that to.. I was at school and i was going up the stairs and somebody tripped justin norwood and than he tripped me on accident. I did like a total flip and my butt landed right on the stairs.. It hurt so badly. I went to the doctors they told me i bruised it. I couldnt sit for 2 months. so i had to stand like every class period or i had to lay on my belly. They put me on some pain medicine..

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S.A.

answers from Dallas on

I went snow boarding in 2006 and I know I did something to my tailbone, it is getting better now. There is hope. It just takes a while and I don't think it will ever be the same. But now it only hurts when I sit ot stand too long. Good luck just hang in there

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J.N.

answers from Lubbock on

R.,

I don't have experience with the tailbone, but I can tell you that since I am an adult it sure takes a lot longer to heal than I think it should. I worried because my hips hurt so much after childbirth and I expected to heal in about six weeks. I found out through experience that most injuries take a full year to heal completely and sometimes arthritis occurs after that. I look at professional athletes and Evil Knevil differently now that I now this. Hope you feel better soon.
Jen

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A.K.

answers from Dallas on

Haven't personally done that myself, but my mom did. She first got thrown off of a horse and hurt it, then years later slipped on ice. Unfortunately it hurt her for years. I don't remember if it was broken or not, but I'm thinking if you're in that much pain and for that long, it was probably broken/fractured. All I can recommend is maybe buying a donut seat, otherwise known as a Coccyx cushion or tailbone cushion. Look 'em up online and find one you like. I think that's the way to get relief. Don't be embarrassed to take it with you wherever you go. What's more important- your comfort (and therefore more focused attention- especially at church) or what other people think? I say comfort/attention.

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M.A.

answers from Dallas on

I did while I was a teenager. I went through cortisone shots first that helped a little. After the shots I went to a chiropractor. The x-rays revealed that my hips were off by almost an inch! I went in for adjustments 3 times a week for over 3 months. In addition, I had a list of exercises to work with daily (painful) to strengthen the necessary muscles.

Perhaps when you fell you threw your alignment off. At my worst I seriously looked like an old woman hunched over and I couldn't sit in a chair (my senior year). The chiropractor said it was like I had been walking in a hole.

I hope this helps.

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A.W.

answers from Amarillo on

I did that about 4 years ago snowboarding. It was AWFUL so I feel your pain...literally! I did have mine x-rayed and as horrible as it felt they said the x-ray was fine, maybe possibly a tiny tiny hairline fracture. So, I just dealt with it. And I tell you what, it STILL gets sore from time to time, especially with my 2 subsequent pregnancies. Sorry girl! Hang in there! But it might be a good idea for you to go see a doctor just in case.

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J.K.

answers from Dallas on

Hi R.,

That happend to me two months ago i fell flat on my butt on the stair at school, i couldn't even get up for a while, it hurt so bad. well the next day was even worse i had brusses and i couldn't sit anywhere not even the toilet,i thought eventually i'll go away but 3 days later i whent to the doctor because i could not sleep, i cry everytime i had to turnd.and yeah you're right theres nothing the doctors can do but give you pain killers he also to me to get the hot and cold patch that help alot, sadly he told me that i'm stuck with the pain for the rest of my life, it doesn't hurt everyday but when i bend over or sit for to long or reach for something or if i sit to fast it hurts.the pain killers help alot with the pain, it actualy didn't make me sleepy but than again everyone reacts different. if u don't want to take medicine just get the hot and cold patch at a cvs or walgreens.
hope you get to feeling better.

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N.C.

answers from Dallas on

its been about three years since i cracked my tailbone and i still have a hard time sitting for long in one position. i know it takes a while to heal for bruised. i don't think it'll ever go away. sorry. hope it feels better. and if it makes you feel better, i broke mine b/c i tripped over my foot when i went to slide into thrid base in a softball game. yours can't be so bad.

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A.L.

answers from Dallas on

Bless your heart! That hurts sooo bad! My daughter fell on her tailbone when she was in junior high. Months later I took her to the doctor and she described the pain. The doctor said it probably was broken or fractured but there wasn't anything that could be done for it anyway but to avoid falling again. I was shocked that there was no treatment! I still am as a matter of fact. My daughter healed but since you use the tailbone ALOT - it's taken years. It doesn't hurt constantly, of course, but every once in a while she will complain of some pain there. I wish I better thoughts on this. Maybe there is a new treatment that has come out in the last few years?? Man, I hope so - that HURTS. Have you tried ice and/or heat to help with the pain? God bless you!

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M.M.

answers from Tulsa on

I broke mine on a ride at Six Flags (in Atlanta). It hurt soooo bad, I know how you feel. I walked around hunched over like an old lady for about 2 months until it finally got better. My friends teased me about it so bad.

5 months does seem like a long time, you might want to have it looked at just for peace of mind that you didn't do something else.

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E.P.

answers from Dallas on

Try a chiropractor! Just like other professionals, like dentists and doctors, there are good ones and bad ones. The good ones make gentle adjustments that almost instantly make you feel better. Many times, when I visited a good chiropractic, (I've known 2 in my life), whatever pain I was in was GONE in one session! And the good ones only charge a small fee for each visit. NO pressure. They know you'll be back when/if you need them. You'll recognize a not-so-good chiropractor, because you'll feel worse than when you went in - and they will try to talk you into paying for 18 sessions up front and sign up for a CareCredit account so they'll get all the money up front and you are left paying off a credit card with interest. Don't do it! Talk to friends and get good recommendations. I recommend Dr. Labus at AwarenessChiropractic.com. He's located Central/Harwood in Bedford, Texas. ###-###-####. I like Dr. Labus because I believe he is intuitive.

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C.T.

answers from Dallas on

I, too, have an embarrassing tailbone injury accident. I won't go into the details, but it took my tailbone a long time to completely heal and not bother me anymore. I couldn't sit in hard chairs or sit anywhere for very long for months. Even a year after the accident, I couldn't sit through a long meeting or service without being uncomfortable. It took several years before it didn't bother me anymore. Just try to sit where the pressure is off the bone-lean forward a little or sit to the side.

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J.T.

answers from Dallas on

A few years ago, my brother and I were attempting a daring jitterbug move and he dropped me. My tailbone hit the ground at an angle from about 3 feet high. I got an x-ray that showed the very tip of the tailbone had been shifted out of place. My chiropractor "popped" it back into place, and it was better in about 3 days. Thank goodness!! The actual popping it back in place did hurt, but it was worth it for such a quick healing.

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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

Hi R.,
I broke my tailbone more than once, and there's nothing a doctor can do about it other than prescribe pain meds. I took a prescription that reduced swelling and helped with pain. I recommend you do the same thing when you know you'll have to sit for long periods. Stop suffering! It was about 8 months before I could sit comfortably and more than a year before I was completely healed.
Leanne

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