We generally tend to complain about pain in our back, neck, hip, shoulder, ……. but we forget about the influence that our tailbone has on our symptoms.
This is especially true if we have a history (far in the past or recent) of one fall or many repetitive injuries. Things like sports falls, car accidents and sitting too much all have an effect.
You may be surprised that tailbone injuries can show symptoms in a variety of ways such as sciatica, migraines and general pain.
Why can a little bone be such a pain in the rear end….and cause damage to the spine??
Well…your tailbone or coccyx, is a major anchoring point for your spinal cord which houses your Central Nervous System (this does a lot of important stuff).
If you look at the diagram you can see that the coccyx has a fair range to move, so it’s rare to fracture or dislocate it. Instead it’s common for the ligaments to tear or be strained, and as a result scar tissue forms (which limits movement!).
Thus an injury to this area can cause abnormal tension on your spinal cord leading to nerve and joint symptoms. There is also a 20-80% weakening of the pelvic floor muscles as well as an immediate increase in muscle tension producing pain in the tailbone, thighs, back and pelvic floor.
Looking at the power of this little bone and the increasingly sedentary lifestyle we’re living, it’s always important for us Chiropractors to check and minimise tension on the spinal cord at all points, from the top to the very end!