My tailbone hurts after sitting for a long time

Many people, such as white-collar workers, drivers, and students, have to sit for long periods of time, even for several hours. After sitting for a long time, problems of one kind or another arise. Some people experience coccyx pain. In this case, you can try to move more. If necessary, you can apply hot compresses or medical massage to relieve the symptoms. If it still doesn't work, it is recommended to go to the hospital for a check-up.

What is coccyx pain

Coccydynia, in a broad sense, is a syndrome of spontaneous pain in the area around the coccyx caused by various clinical reasons such as injury to the coccyx or sacrococcygeal joint, infection, tumor, after childbirth, after anorectal surgery, gynecological surgery, and so on.

The reason why the tailbone hurts after sitting for a long time

The most direct problem of coccyx pain is the pain and discomfort in the coccyx when sitting, especially when the coccyx is under pressure. The longer you sit, the more painful it will be. Some people even feel uncomfortable when lying flat. At this time, they will feel that lying on their side or left side is more comfortable because this posture can reduce the pressure on the coccyx. Some people feel the most pain when they are standing up from a sitting position. This is because the coccyx is dislocated or moves abnormally when sitting. In severe cases of coccyx pain, even walking may be painful. If you are concerned, you can do further inspection.

Other causes of tailbone pain

Causes of coccyx pain include direct trauma to the coccyx or its joint ligaments, which may be caused by slipping and falling on the buttocks, or falling on the buttocks from a height, or the coccyx may be kicked or hit by an external object. Due to sprain of the joint between the sacrum and coccyx or fracture of the coccyx, local inflammation and pain of the coccyx is caused. Over time, the pain will go away as the injured area heals, but if the healing is poor or not there, the pain will persist.

The pain caused by trauma and chronic strain mainly comes from the coccyx and the soft tissue around it. Chronic strain during acute injury can cause varying degrees of bleeding, edema, organization, degeneration, spasm and other changes in the soft tissue around the coccyx, causing pain; it can also cause dislocation, fracture, and morphological variation of the coccyx, causing the coccyx to bend forward and enlarge, causing pain.

Patients with coccyx pain, which is common among office workers, generally do not have serious conditions such as lumbar disc herniation, fracture, and dislocation. Their coccyx pain is usually caused by sitting for a long time. The human body is subjected to the reaction force of the hard chair for a long time, and the coccyx bears the brunt, resulting in strain and inflammation, which in turn induces pain.

What to do if your tailbone hurts after sitting for a long time

The correct sitting posture should be sitting on the ischial tuberosity. There are many muscles around the ischial tuberosity, such as the gluteus maximus, which can protect the bones from being compressed. If you sit on a sofa or a chair with a backrest, your buttocks will most likely slide down, resulting in a hunched back posture. At this time, the center of gravity of the body is placed on the coccyx and sacrum, which lack muscles and have a small area. If you sit on the coccyx and sacrum for a long time, it is easy to cause local pain. If you cross your legs for a long time, the center of gravity will shift to one side of the coccyx, which may cause pain on that side or pain in the sacroiliac joint. Many conditions are caused by long-term stress.