I bruised my tailbone on slippery steps, way over 25 years ago.

I missed some days at work, and remember I had to use crutches for a while.

I'm getting so old I can remember anything else.

OHHHH, good luck to you!

I'd book an appointment with your family doctor ASAP and have it checked. There could be something new to help you. At least get a note for work in the event it becomes unbearable and you need to get home for rest - in whatever manner you can.

Ouch I know it can hurt, and hurt for sometime. My friend fell off a horse who got spooked and seriously bruised her tailbone. She was off work for almost a week, same physical condition you are describing.

I wish you a speedy recovery.

Peggy

Could be cracked also. But you should get it checked out.

I fell a story and a half when I was nine YO and broke my tailbone in two places. To this day, I'm 43, if i sit wrong or in a chair that holds me wrong I will be in terrible pain for a few hours. I just had to learn what triggers mine.

At 96 YO my DGGM (not too dear) fell in a nursing home and broke her tailbone. No one reported it and she received no medical attention. The infection killed her in 2 months. She didn't complain about the pain to any of the family because she was embarrassed to have a Dr. examine her. The county coroner pursued charges on the home.

See a Dr. and take your vitamins, so the tissue can heal as quick as possible. l.marie

Yep, fell on the steps and went down full force on my butt. OMG the pain....you are not going to want to hear this but it took at least 6 months for it to heal and today, it will still hurt if I sit down on something hard with a bit too much force. . . I did this at least 8 years ago.

Get to an M.D. because you may be needing painkillers.

Unfortunately, I have to concur with Lynn_d that a tailbone injury can take a long time to heal. I hurt mine 2 years ago and it took almost 11 months before all the discomfort was gone. The worst pain didn't last too long, but it took a few months before there was no discomfort lowering myself into or rising from a seated position and about 7 more months before I could sit completely comfortably in a chair for extended periods without having to shift from one side of my behind to the other. I'm sending fast healing wishes your way!

OUCH!!!

I hope you have a speedy recovery. And yes...have it checked out.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

I also agree it takes a long time..hang your butt off a pillow. I've been dealing with it since May...

When I was younger, I used to ice skate a lot.. and also fell alot as well... I did bruise my tail bone pretty severely at one time, and it kept me off the ice for several weeks... but no doctor was involved.. I now have arthritis in it, and when it flares up, it is like the day I fell.. and it hurts like heck.... but the only option is surgery, but at my age and the frequency of it flarng up.. well it just doesn't seem worth going under the knife to fix it at this stage of the game..

Carolyn

Liljunker is right. You need to see a doctor. I skate too. A lot of the younger ones repeatedly fall hard when learning their more advanced jumps. Often they skate with undiagnosed fractures of the hips,tailbone and vertebrae. Those injuries haunt them for life.

Anti-inflammatory can help you now. Knowing what is wrong can help avoid unnecessary pain later.

When I was in PA to help my Mom after her hip replacement,her tailbone got so sore from sitting.She was in terrible pain from it(she's thin and has no meat on her butt). The nurse told us to get a coccyx pillow,not a donut.She said the donut still puts pressure because of the foam in the back.we got her a pillow similiar to the one I'll link to.It has a U or a V shape cut out in the back.My Mom said it was MUCH better than the donut.She bought one for in her car too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Coccyx Pillow

I forgot to say that when they first x-ray'd my badly broken tail-bone, they let me know that "when" I became pregnant, they would have to re-break my tail-bone to keep it from interfering with the labor.

also,I've been told, a broken (not bruised) tail-bone can possibly interfere with bowel functions. Make sure you see a Dr.

Adding you and your tail-bone to the prayer list. l.marie

I posted last weekend about my husband falling 10 feet off one roof and rolling on that one and plunging 12 feet more. He landed on his tailbone ,but that's not broken although is very sore. The blunt force broke a vertebra, and he is on oxycontin. Maybe you might have something like that. His whole back side is one ugly bruise.

Many years ago, I was squatted down and when I went to get up I rammed my tailbone into the corner of my cedar chest. That was painful for a long time. I became pregnant and immediately it seemed it healed. I think the pressure from inside pushed it back into place. It has been over 34 years and I have had no problems with it since. That was my cure.

Sue

I fell backwards off a swing when I was a kid and hurt my tailbone. It took forever to stop hurting and just when it was better I slipped on wet grass and landed on it again and had to start healing again.

My mother didn't believe I was really hurt so of course I had not relief from the pain. Pain pills would have been such a blessing. I vote with seeing a doc.

Linda

So Vicky, will you be getting pregnant any time soon? I would suggest you see a Doctor and find out exactly what you're dealing with. Perhaps he or she will at least prescribe some relief for you. So sorry to hear about your fall.

I hurt my tailbone when I was about thirteen. I didn't have any treatment. For years after, I would automatically curl my leg under me when I had to sit on a hard surface, to avoid causing pain.

It still hurts once in a while, and it's been over fifty years.

Well, not to get too graphic here, but (no pun intended)....

My Mom had a tailbone injury, and the doctor was able to manually manipulate (placed gloved finger where sun does not shine) those bones of the coccyx right back into place!

She never forgets that, and that it helped right away. So I agree a trip to the doc would be useful!

My legs went out from under me while I was running down concrete stairs to a locker room after gym class when I was in HS. I fainted. I 'bent' my tailbone and it took a long time to heal. Worse, it shook up my insides. I developed endometriosis; never had trouble before this incident.

Get it checked out, Vickey.

Vickey, I would see a Chiropractor and have it put back in place so it can heal correctly. If it is not corrected it will affect a lot of bodily functions.
Yes, it may take more than one visit, but so do Dr visits and continued meds.

I bruised my tailbone a month ago and it didn't stop hurting for a month. I didn't go to the doctor. It healed on it's own.

i fell on a track i hurt when i sit down or stand up but when i get al the way down it doesnt hurt is it bruised?

maybe

Sorry about your "pain in the butt". I agree with some of the other posters. You should get it checked out. The Doc will likely have it x-rayed for a better look. He'll be looking for a cracked/broken bone, dislocation, or maybe determine it is only bruised. The visit may open the possibility of insurance coverage for a special sitting cushion. one that takes the pressure off the tail bone. (You'll need a prescription for insurance coverage.) And he might recommend a pain reliever such as Aleve.

I broke mine 30 years ago, I sometimes sit wrong for too long and it will bother me.

Sorry for you, but thinking you can expect a long time healing.

I just fell and probably bruised my tailbone in the ice storm we had in February. I don't know if I broke it because I didn't get it xrayed. I didn't get it xrayed because that would've been money down the drain; they can't set a tailbone. It took me a full five weeks to get mostly better. Six weeks and it was gone. Longer than that, it's broken. Leaning forward when sitting will help. Sitting on cushions made for tailbone issues helps. I had one at home and one at work. One in the car would've helped, but it wasn't bothersome enough to do that.

Ice the first 48 hours or so, and don't take anti-inflammatories for it, it'll only slow the healing. Heating pad after 48 hours.

I wonder how these old posts keep coming back up? This one is 5 years old.

I noticed that, but there was a recent question. Maybe they brought it back up when they found it after searching?

darkprince0413

i fell on a track i hurt when i sit down or stand up but when i get al the way down it doesnt hurt is it bruised?

Legitimate sources of medical information:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/tailbone-coccyx-injury?page=1

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000573.htm

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/tailbone_coccyx_injury/article_em.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tailbone-pain/expert-answers/faq-20058211

I did leave off the stool softener part. If the injury is causing swelling, and/or its uncomfortable to go to the restroom, add that to the regiment for healing.

_______________

NSAID information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3259713/

"Till then, clinician should treat NSAIDs as a risk factor for bone healing impairment and should be avoided in high-risk patients"

Mixed results, but the point is, be judicious in using anti-inflammatories when bone healing is involved. So the links do say to take them, but evidence suggests that it may not be the best idea if you're trying to heal. Avoidance of long standing/sitting, proper sitting, stretches, and lots of ice will go a long way in pain alleviation.

Yes, I'm sure this thread was found in a search. I did this 35 years ago and still can't sit on a hard surface for any length of time.

Prince, you do need to go to the doctor and at least have an x-ray if it hurts too much--could have hurt a disc, I suppose.

@rob333 - the entire conclusion: There is NO robust clinical and/or scientific EVIDENCE to discard the use of NSAIDs in patients suffering from a fracture, but equal lack of evidence does not constitute proof of the absence of an effect. The majority of the available evidence is based on ANIMAL findings and these results should be interpreted with CAUTION due to the DIFFERENCES in physiological mechanisms between HUMANS and animals. The need of basic science research defining the exact mechanism that NSAIDs could interfere with bone cells and the conduction of well-randomized prospective clinical trial are warranted. Till then, clinician should treat NSAIDs as a risk factor for bone healing impairment and should be avoided in HIGH-risk patients.

rob333 - On what evidence do you base your medical advice, "be judicious in using anti-inflammatories when bone healing is involved"???

GWers - Please get your medical advice from a qualified, licensed, health care provider. If you must get advice online, please use legitimate websites, and avoid looking at just one line from one study that may be flawed for a number of reasons.

I got from a doctor. Nice try, though.

I will add this, use Tylenol instead of Advil since the jury is still out. As I stated above. Meaning, it's not written in stone, but the indication is that it could delay healing. Why chance delayed healing, when another medication that isn't an anti--inflammatory can help aid in alleviating pain.

I broke my tailbone many years ago and suffered with pain for a LONG time. One doctor eventually recommended that I get a Nordic Track ski machine, saying that if I used the machine it would strengthen the surrounding muscles and help hold things in place. It worked! and I still use and love my "Track"!

I use a coccyx cushion. It has a opening in the back so when you sit, your tailbone is not touching the chair. I fell flat on the ice a few years ago and this is the only cushion that helps, even today when it sometime flares up on me. I had my local pharmacy order one for me.

Mdln....I broke my ankle rather severely last year. Both my orthopedic surgeon and the physician's assistant who specializes in bone health told me not to take an anti-inflammatory while my bones were healing.