pain in coccyx - doctors flummoxed

[emwi]

Ever since birth of dd (now 10.5mo) I have suffered pain at the base of my spine. She was born by emergency caesarean after a long labour and they had to use forceps to get her out. Anyone know about this as the doctors don't seem to have any idea. Pain is like the area has been bruised - pressure makes it hurt.

[CnR]

You don't think the doctors could have chipped the bone at all do you? I fell on coccyx when a teenager and most probably chipped it. It was very painful to start with, but eventually went to a dull ache if pressur put on it. I remember school science stools were a nightmare.

[soothepoo]

Emwi, years ago when I was in my late teen and early twenties, I suffered from a condition called pilonidal sinus, which is an inflammation or abscess in the coccyx area. It hurt when I sat down and when I walked it felt like there was a small ball there. The discomfort you are experiencing sounds exactly like it. My mother suffered from it as well and it may be an inherited condition, but not necessarily. It occurs because sweat glands in the coccyx become blocked by a hair - it is possible that being on your back during childbirth has caused a blockage. I think it would be worthwhile mentioning this condition to your doctor.
Read all about it here .
HTH, and I hope that it clears up soon.

[soothepoo]

BTW, I do NOT have abundant hair in my natal cleft !

[forestfly]

I had loads and lods of pain they found out that i'd ripped a tiny hole between my vagina tunnel and my poo tunnel

[Angiel]

I had a pilonidal sinus as well and they are bloody painful.

I also suffered from a lot of coccyx pain as well afterwards and my Doctor gave me a long lasting local anaesthetic injection, which did help. When I went back to get another one though, another Doctor told me that I was just disguising the problem and that I needed to sort out the cause.

They assumed that my coccyx had been damaged at some stage and I spend months spitting on a special cushion, that looked like a loo seat, to take the pressure off.

[emwi]

Did the pain go away of its own accord CnR and Angiel? Will discuss with doctor - thanks very much for all your responses.

[Angiel]

It did improve over time. If I press it now it does hurt but it doesn't bother me on a day to day asis. Perhaps sitting on the loo seat thing helped!

[LIZS]

Had continuous coccyx pain for at least 6 weeks post ds' birth. Long labour, lots of monitoring, he was back to back and I had a back ache labour, with him eventually born by ventouse. I had trouble sitting properly and driving was awkward but it did ease off. However for a couple of years afterwards occasionally would suddenly get a searing pain and pressure in that area and sometimes hurt when needed to go to the toilet. When dd was born my coccyx would not flex properly and she had to be manually manouevred past it (sorry if too graphic) but whether this was the problem I had experienced with ds or whether his birth caused it I do not know. Anyway the postnatal pain that time was far less and short lived.

At the time of ds' birth it was attributed to stitches and episiotomy but that was really a dismissal of the problem and I believe the area was strained and as you describe it felt bruised and inflamed although there was nothing to see. They can treat it with physio, possibly heat treatment would help. I think this is more common than you hear, but most are too preoccupied with the babies to make a fuss at the time and probably tolerate it and it eventually goes away.

Hope you get it resolved, 10.5 months is too long to suffer

[monkey]

Hi emwi, I had pain that sounds like this in late pregnancy & post birth. i had physio but it was useless (involved embarrassing appointments where she'd dramatically pull on a rubber glove & then stick her finger up my bum! Press right on the coccyx so I'd hit the roof screaming & say, oh is that it there? and that was it. Gradually it improver by itself.

I found on slouching & lounging around on soft chair, but sittng forward, sothe weight is on the pelvic bones not the coccyx was the only way i could sit without crippling myself.

I had it late preg & post natal for a few months both times & never got a diagnosis (not for want of trying), just avoided putting pressure on & it eventually went away. Good luck.

[mears]

I had terrible coccyx pain afetr first ds. Agree with Monkey that my posture did not help - I sat slouched a lot of the time. I had ultrasound from the physio for a few weeks which helped. It is a really common complaint around the time of having a baby whatever way you deliver. Pay real attention to the way you sit. It will get better.

[CnR]

Pain did ease a lot over time, but not that quickly to be honest. Even now, years later I get the odd dull ache if I am sat on a hard surface for any length of time. Can't imagine going to see an opera at Verona!

[MBB]

Also had weeks of pain with coccyx after very long and drawn out painful back labour. HV and GP not particularly interested and said pain would die away. However couldn;t wait that long as sitting to breastfeed was agony so made own appt for osteopath. he was wonderful and did gentle (non-embarrasing) manipulation of coccyx and sorted it out over 2-3 sessions (6 wks or so), stillhave problems with other areas of my back (not connected to that) but never had that original pain. Am due baby2 in 10 days and have appt with ostepoath booked for 4 weeks time. He was great and I can't recommend him highly enough.

[SoupDragon]

Rather bizarrely, I had the opposite of this. I hurt my coccyx sitting down heavily on a bead frame and suffered the discomfort you described for over 2 years. I gave birth to DS1 and the pain all went away!

Maybe an osteopath could help?

[emwi]

Thanks for all these really helpful replies. I have been seeing a physio (she's not tried to put her finger up my bum thank God) but it hasn't really helped. She has helped my mid-back pain which is another story! I might try an osteopath. Posture definately does affect it. The pain isn't terrible, it's uncomfortable rather than agonising. It's good to know it's likely to get better as time goes on anyway.