Ever since July I’ve been dealing with sharp tailbone pain. It comes and goes, but some days the pain is very strong and uncomfortable. When it is at its worse, it is very hard to sit down or stand up since the movement causes huge pressure and pain in that area. It has gotten so bad at times that going to the bathroom or passing gas is very painful. There have been several occasions when I even feel like a small crack or shift on my tailbone when I get up after sitting for a while. I try not to sit for too long and move constantly to avoid this, but it still happens more often than not. I’ve been autoregulating my training and activities during all of this. The flare-ups are random and sometimes last for weeks. I’d be grateful to get some feedback from you on the matter.
No, haven’t had a fall nor trauma to that area. I do know, from an MRI taken December last year, that there is an “arachnid cyst” on my S2 vertebrae.
I didn’t get the screening because of tailbone pain because I didn’t get that back then. It was due to heavy low back pain / sciatica which turned out to be a dehydrated and herniated disc on L4-L5. However, the low back pain is not a concern anymore. It became better once I started training, moving, and stopped worrying about it.
I don’t know if it’s related but from what I know those tend to be harmless. But yeah, no trauma or anything from that sort that I know of…just that thing there.
Glad to hear that you didn’t have any trauma to the area.
You are not alone; it is a normal aspect of human experience to have to have these uncomfortable feelings that come and go. It can often be frustrating when we do not know the “cause” of our pain, but the reality is that the pain experience is complex and involves a complex interaction of of biological, psychological, and social factors. I would agree that the arachnoid cysts are typically harmless and is likely not the singular cause of your pain, if at all.
Often times, when individuals experience pain, our perceptions of our own body can change, including feeling “cracks” or “shifts” when in reality the degree of movement that occurs at our tailbone is too small for us to perceive. It does sound like you were able to successfully self-manage your experience with low back pain, I would recommend using the same approach that you employed then to your current situation.
Other than that, It’s hard to provide more specific recommendations without a consult. To talk more specifically regarding your unique scenario, I would recommend a consultation with our pain and rehab team. We can work through your thoughts and beliefs regarding your experience and provide you with more specific recommendations moving forward.