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Long story short my tailbone is painful, I think this was initiated by a Gravel bike commute in on Wednesday last week, no falling off or incidents but it just hurt a bit after I'd bumped about on some lanes for an hour or so...
I've since been on various Road rides (which mat or may not have exacerbated things) and am increasingly getting literal pain in my arse from sitting or lying in various positions, it also seems to respond if I tighten the old buns, making me think it's musculoskeletal...
Google says it could be anything From a bit of bruising, to Arthritis to (at the most extreme end) bum cancer.
Obviously I could try a medical professional, but I thought I'd consult the STW Collective for advice and similar anecdotes first... Anyone?
In the proper tradition, cat aids of the worst sort.
I would go to the doctors and not ask weirdos on the Internet.
I would go to the doctors and not ask weirdos on the Internet.
Where's the fun in that?
Your gravel ride might have been the catalyst, it might have been the cause. You may never know.
In my case, nearly two years ago, it was actually my office chair that was the cause. Over time the padding under my sit bones had deteriorated so it was applying constant barely noticeable pressure on my coccyx. Until one day it was noticeable and I couldn't sit down properly for months.
I had to get a coccyx cushion for driving and any extended sitting, saddles for my bikes that had a channel all the way to the rear (WTB Koda) and physiotherapy to create more balanced muscle mass around the coccyx area.
Then I had to get further physiotherapy to sort out the weirdness in my posterior chain caused by sitting in odd positions (before I decided to see the right sort of medical professional) to try and not have a sore coccyx.
I sat on it (excuse the pun) for too long at the start and I'm still not fully recovered. Don't make the same mistake as me.
I think I had similar to seriousrikk. If you're desk based try not to slouch curving your cocyx intro the pressure point. Also try lower back stretching/ yoga.
In my case, nearly two years ago, it was actually my office chair that was the cause. Over time the padding under my sit bones had deteriorated so it was applying constant barely noticeable pressure on my coccyx. Until one day it was noticeable and I couldn't sit down properly for months.
Weirdly, I had the same a couple of months ago - sudden pain in my cocyx one day, couldn't work out why. Realised it may've been to do with sitting, then a week or two later sat in the pub I realised I was sitting in a way that was putting pressure on it. Like I was too relaxed into my sit, and resting on the cocyx bone itself. A wee clench helped elevate the cocyx a bit and seemed to fix it
Good to hear that there's no numbness, otherwise you might be looking at:
Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) - Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Which is something that my Doc keeps warning me about as I have other spine issues. And something that someone I know suffers from too. Worse than the cat Aids apparently.
I would go to the doctors and not ask weirdos on the Internet.
Where's the fun in that?
Depends who you want to show your coccyx to?
Hmmm, could well be posture and too much sitting (slouching) in office chair(s).
I did notice sat on one of our (hard) kitchen chairs on Sunday that it was managing to apply more arse pressure and cause coccyx pain.
Making conscious effort to sit more more upright currently and just get up and about and walk/stretch a bit in the office.
Interestingly all of my saddles (WTBs) have relief channels all the way to the back, could these actually have served to mask the issue for longer?
@chrispoffer Don't think it's CES (yet?), but I guess that's a risk if this causes nerve damage and I don't deal with it sooner rather than later...
Cheers all, actually a lot of useful responses.
could be a pilonidal cyst, worth getting checked ASAP regardless.
Edit for context: a close pal, and another that I know less well, have had this and initially presented with not dissimilar symptoms. Deffo better to catch it as early as possible if it is. IANAD!
could be a pilonidal cyst
You're just trying to mess with my workplace search history now...
It's definitely not a bum crack cyst, almost certain it's a musculoskeletal issue, due to me being a desk-bound, sloucher...
could be a pilonidal cyst
You're just trying to mess with my workplace search history now...
It's definitely not a bum crack cyst, almost certain it's a musculoskeletal issue, due to me being a desk-bound, sloucher...
don’t rule this out - had one of these a good few years ago (when I was a desk bound sloucher). Actually presented randomly not long after falling on my coccyx so I put it down to that, then started feeling dreadful. Cut out under general then a few very uncomfortable weeks having it “packed out” daily by a nurse - still having a cracking (😂) scar
see a doc
don’t rule this out - had one of these a good few years ago (when I was a desk bound sloucher). Actually presented randomly not long after falling on my coccyx so I put it down to that, then started feeling dreadful. Cut out under general then a few very uncomfortable weeks having it “packed out” daily by a nurse - still having a cracking (😂) scar
I'll see your " had one of these" and raise you a second one 2 years later. There isn't a district nurse on England who hasn't seen my arse close up.
I had this a couple of months ago.
An MRI scan narrowed it down to a possibly a bit of mild arthritis (some evidence of wear and tear but not conclusive that was the cause) or a bit of bruising (quite possible). It probably isn’t cancer.
So relieving but not conclusive. I agreed with my consultant that ignoring it and hoping it goes away was the best course of action.
Given the appalling treatment I got when I badly broke my pelvis (NHS said I hadn't) - I went to a private physio to examine the injuries as they were very painful.
Long story short, they said they thought I had a pelvic fracture, most likely the hip socket. I was like, oh well, if it's small. Turned out it was massive fractures but not displaced.
Roll on a few months... same private physio Having issues with my shoulder.... does the routine movements. You've torn your supraspinatus. Then get a referral letter from private physio - emailed to GP. GP practice then, at last, sent me to ultrasound. Oh, 2/3rds torn supraspinatus tendon...
Still no NHS help fixing it, but as an active 'dad' to a family of four (two adult kids) I still have jobs. The lifting any weight above my chest has stopped - carry not lift.