Coccyx injury - painful and insecure

A tailbone injury is a nuisance that people rarely pay due attention to.

Getting a tailbone injury is easier than ever; you don’t even have to fall or bump hard about anything. To get such an injury, simply ride a bike on a rough road. However, having received a tailbone injury, no one is in a hurry to run to the hospital - it seems to be embarrassing, it seems that there is nothing so terrible about it. But this is a fallacy! It is worth recalling that the coccyx - this is an extreme spine and any violation or the injury will certainly affect the whole organism. Because you should not be self-confident and indifferent to your body.

A bruise is an injury to the body, characterized by damage to tissues or organs, while practically not manifesting itself outside. During injury, soft tissue is the most severely injured, which is pressed against the bones. Most often there is a minor internal hemorrhage, which can appear on the skin with a bruise, which changes color depending on the self-healing of the injury. The color varies from bluish-purple to greenish-yellow.

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Causes of tailbone injury

The causes of a tailbone injury can be any injury, but the most characteristic injuries that cause a injury or even a severe tailbone injury are certainly a fall on the butt. The greatest number of people receiving severe tailbone injury is observed in winter, when snow falls and ice appears. It is ice that helps people to fall more often, landing on different parts of the body, causing them to break their arms and legs and, in particular, to get a tailbone injury.

For those who are engaged in active sports, such as roller skating, speed skating, skiing, as well as for fans of snowboards, skateboards and other projectiles, the risk of injury, and in particular a strong tailbone injury, is greatly increased.

The tailbone injury in a child can be observed much more often than in an adult, since children are more active, practically do not sit still, can push or hit each other, thereby provoking a fall. Also, a special love in children has been noticed for trees, fences, various slides and sports equipment. Every time he climbs to a height, we can expect a bruise of the tailbone from a child.

In most cases, such an injury occurs instantaneously and for some time while the soft tissues move away from the impact, the pain from the tailbone injury may not be observed. However, when natural anesthesia passes, a person may experience pain for a long time, especially performing even domestic tasks that lead to skin tension in the pelvic region, can provoke pain in the place of injury.

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Symptoms of a tailbone injury

How to determine whether you have received a tailbone injury or not? The most eloquent symptom confirming the injury of the coccyx is a pain syndrome that occurs immediately after an injury. Depending on the nature of the fall, the weight and height of a person who has suffered a bruise of the coccyx, the pain can be different - from barely noticeable, practically not interfering with movements, to severe and limiting possibilities of the injured person.

A few hours after a severe injury to the tailbone, the victim may experience discomfort trying to sit or lie down. However, Pain in the coccyx   gradually subsides, which causes a person to calm down and postpone or completely cancel the visit to the doctor with his injury. This is in vain, because the decline of pain does not mean that the injury has passed and there will be no consequences.

Even such an innocent injury as a tailbone injury would seem to have serious complications and post-traumatic processes. The pain of a severe injury of the coccyx can be repeated, without proper treatment, for up to several years, causing more and more discomfort and irritation of the patient. Such an inhibition of pain can be explained by the fact that the injured develops chronic bruise of the coccyx. It is characterized by the fact that a person experiences pain during an accelerated step or when squatting.

Another equally eloquent symptom of severe injury to the coccyx can be called a hematoma at the site of the injury. Due to a fall or a blow, the blood vessels that form internal bruises, abrasions and bruises on the skin are damaged and broken. It is worth noting that the bruises can even indicate a fracture or fracture of the bone tissue, which can only be said X-ray image of the damaged part of the body. By bruising, the doctor can determine when the injury occurred, because in the first couple of days the damaged area of the skin acquires a red-purple hue, and later the color goes to blue-green and yellowish. If the bruise is not visible, then it indicates either the age of this injury or that the patient’s skin is not prone to bruising, although their appearance depends not on the skin, but on the nature of the injury.

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Consequences of a tailbone injury

The consequences of a tailbone injury can be very unfavorable, because the tailbone is an extreme part of the spine, the spinal cord passes through the spinal cord, which is connected to the brain through a multitude of nerves, ligaments and other organs. One of the least dangerous consequences of a tailbone injury in this case is the overgrowth of pain in a bruised place into a chronic form. When chronization of the tailbone injury, the patient will experience pain from the least stress on the affected area of the body, including when sitting in the same place.

Of the more dangerous and bleak consequences - a tailbone injury, causing additional injury to both the spinal cord and the brain. Due to a strong kick of the coccyx, damage to the spinal cord can occur, which joins the edge of the tailbone. In this case, you may experience frequent headaches. This is because a certain displacement occurs in the body due to the impact of the coccyx. It causes a change in the position of the spinal cord, its tension, which is displayed on the connections with the brain, on the vessels and tissues of the brain.

Not the best way is displayed on your health and damage to the spinal cord, concussion or bruise. Occlusion into the back of the spinal cord can also occur.

In addition to spinal cord and brain injury, severe spinal injury can also lead to the destruction of the cervical vertebrae - due to compression and a strong blow, they too can not withstand a sudden load.

No more pleasant way can be displayed on the health of the bruised internal soft tissues. Due to the disturbance in them of the normal exchange of fluids, inflammatory processes can occur, in the rectum there are often exacerbations of the disease in the form of accumulation of pus, and on the tailbone - in the form of fistula formation.

Also on the site of bruises may appear hard tubercles - fibrotic hematomas.

There is no definite answer to the question “how long does the tailbone hurt?”, Since each fall is individual and the body of each person may react to it differently. Depending on the nature of the injury and the quality of the injury, the pain can last only a few days, and may appear periodically over several years. In addition, an important role is played by the applied treatment, which may or may not affect the tailbone injury, because the method is prescribed or chosen incorrectly.

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What to do with a tailbone injury? First aid for tailbone injury

If you still fell on the fifth point and hit, what to do with a tailbone injury?

The first thing to do is to lie down on the stomach so that the blood from the affected part of the body is lost. In no case should not make sudden movements, because they can harm.

Be sure to inspect the injury site, check for bruises in the place of impact. Sometimes right after the impact of a bruise, there isn’t yet, but only a slight redness is seen. Only a doctor can use the radiograph to determine the nature and severity of the injury and tell you that you had a bruise or a fracture of the coccyx.

But still note that the very first aid for a tailbone injury, which you can do for yourself, is to apply a cold compress to the damaged part of your body. It will reduce blood flow to the bruise and reduce the swelling of the clogged area, remove the hematoma.

The cooling of the injured edema area can last for several hours, because over time the compresses need to be changed. To help compresses, use also chloroethyl, which instantly evaporates from the skin and cools the affected part of the body.

If the pain is strong enough, you can use painkillers and immediately seek help from doctors.

Treatment of coccyx injury

Before you begin treating the tailbone injury, you should make sure that it is really a injury, and not a fracture. To determine this, you need to make a radiograph. It will help prescribe an effective treatment and avoid the development of possible complications. When you are convinced that there is no fracture, you can begin treatment at home.

First of all, for a few days it is worth refusing to take active steps and observe peace. If possible, it is better to rest for a few days. If you suffer pain on your legs, it is likely to cause complications.

It is necessary to lie more, it is not recommended to sit. Or for sitting it is better to use a special orthopedic pillow or a rubber circle. The whole point of this is that there is no load on the tailbone.

In no case do not use hot compresses and do not take hot baths. On the contrary, it is recommended to do cold compresses, which will help to remove the bruises and swelling.

Forget about massaging the damaged area, as you only aggravate the course of the disease.

In addition, it is recommended to do relaxing baths (which are held in a sitting position), as well as perform a set of gymnastic exercises. The most necessary exercises:

• in the supine position, stretch the legs and with the feet hold, compress and decompress a small rubber ball. Compression should last 5 seconds, repetitions should be at least 10. Between the approaches it is worth taking breaks of 10-15 seconds;
• in the same position lying on your back, bending the legs at the knees, you need to slightly raise the pelvis and compress the buttocks, keeping them in tension for 5 seconds. Perform this exercise as much as you can;
• the same position - lying on his back, legs bent at the knees. The ball involved in the first exercise now need to squeeze and unclamp the knees. The press should be tight, the belly does not bulge. Take a break during this exercise.

These exercises should be done after some time after the injury, in any case not immediately after injury.

Treatment with alternative means of the tailbone injury

In addition to medical and physical therapy, you can also use alternative medicine. So, as they are based on the use of natural substances and plants, they definitely will not cause harm.

One of the most well-known alternative means of treating the coccyx contusion is pounded wormwood, which is applied to the damaged coccyx. An onion compress can also help. Tincture of arnica, which is taken in 30 drops, will help relieve pain.

Means for ages - plantain leaves. Pounded leaves of this plant or juice are applied to the injury site in the form of a compress. This remedy contributes to the healing of soft tissue injury and the coccyx itself.

How to smear the tailbone injury?

Doctors recommend to use ointments with anesthetic effect, as well as cleaning bruises for the treatment of bruise of the coccyx. The most commonly used traumel or dolobene gel, plant-based ointment - chamomile, arnica, calendula, or warming ointment, which will improve blood circulation at the site of injury, in order to avoid the appearance of seals.

So what is the best ointment for treating the tailbone injury?

• Traumeel - ointment, which must be applied to the damaged area 2-3 times a day. Applied with light movements, rubbed. It can also be used as a compress.
• Dolobene gel - gel is applied with soft rubbing movements, a thin layer, 2-4 times a day. Can also be used as a compress. Apply to clean skin. The course is individual and depends on the effect obtained.
• Chamomile ointment - has anti-inflammatory, anti-healing effect. Apply with soft rubbing movements as well as in previous cases 2 to 4 times a day.
• Ointment "Arnica" - applied with a thin layer to the damaged area of the body twice a day. Use under a bandage is possible.
• Calendula Ointment - improves blood circulation, accelerates the healing process. Apply 2-3 times a day.

Suppositories for bruised tailbone

For the treatment of a coccyx injury, special candles are also prescribed. The most commonly prescribed are suppositories with ichthyol, with belladonna, with novocaine, and others.

• Ichthyol suppositories are an antiseptic, healing agent. Suppository is introduced after cleansing enema or after natural emptying. Suppositories are placed 1-2 times a day.
• Suppositories with novocaine - anesthetic. Used 1-2 times a day.
• Suppositories with belladonna - increases the tone of the sphincter, is prescribed for hemorrhoids. It is recommended to use about three candles per day.

Prevention of coccyx injury

Prevention of the tailbone injury should include only taking care not to fall, not to sit constantly on hard surfaces, try to avoid injury. It is necessary to perform the above exercises, regardless of injury. General gymnastic exercises will help keep muscles in shape.

It is also recommended that a physician involved in setting up the work of the pelvic organs, normalizing blood circulation and improving metabolism in the myofascial structures, osteopath, is visited at least once every six months. If necessary, he will always refer you to the right specialist.

Take care of your health and be careful, because even the most minor injury, such as a tailbone injury, can be a problem for you for life.

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