How to Know If You Have a Bruised Tailbone, and What You Can Do About It
Key takeaways:
A bruised tailbone — or coccyx — is usually caused by falling backward into a seated position.
Bruised tailbones can cause pain when sitting or changing positions, such as standing or bending over. Ice and over-the-counter pain medications can help.
Most bruised tailbones will heal in a few weeks on their own. If pain is severe or persistent, see a healthcare provider to check for a broken bone or other causes of pain.
Table of contents
If you’ve ever had a tailbone injury, you know how painful it can be. The tailbone, also called the coccyx, is a triangle-shaped bone at the end of the spine. And it connects to several muscles in the pelvis for support, which means it hurts with basic activities like sitting or standing. There are ways you can help your body recover from a tailbone bruise. And ways to know if you might have a more serious injury, like a broken bone.
What is a bruised tailbone?
A bruised tailbone happens when there’s trauma to the area at the very bottom of the spine (around the buttocks). This can happen in a number of different ways, which we discuss below.
This trauma can lead to swelling, inflammation, and damage to the small blood vessels surrounding the tailbone. This causes pain that’s usually located at the bottom of the spine, around where the lower back meets the buttocks. The pain tends to worsen when you:
Sit down
Sit for long periods of time
Go from sitting to standing
Bend forward
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What causes a bruised tailbone?
The most common way that people bruise their tailbones is when they fall backward into a seated position. But this can happen in other ways, too. A tailbone injury can happen with:
Minor trauma, like sitting on an uncomfortable surface for an extended period of time or riding a water park slide
Repetitive trauma, like riding a bike or horse
Childbirth, especially a prolonged or difficult delivery
How can you tell the difference between a bruised and a broken tailbone?
If you have a tailbone injury, it’s common to wonder if it’s bruised or broken. Often, a bruised tailbone is less painful than a fracture. But not always.
Severe pain can be a sign that your tailbone is fractured (broken) and not just bruised. But there isn’t any way to know for sure just based on symptoms.
The only way to know for sure is to get an X-ray or a CT scan. These studies take a picture of the tailbone to see if there’s a fracture. A broken tailbone will usually take longer to heal than a bruised tailbone. But the treatment is essentially the same in most cases.
How do you treat a bruised tailbone?
A bruised tailbone will eventually heal itself over time. But there are things you can do to help the recovery process:
Avoid activities and movements that make the pain worse. But be sure to still stay active while healing.
Sit on a donut-shaped pillow. This keeps pressure off the tailbone, and will make sitting more comfortable.
When sitting, alternate shifting weight from one side of the buttocks to the other. This can also alleviate pressure on the tailbone.
Avoid sitting on hard surfaces.
Apply ice to the affected area to reduce pain and inflammation. This will be most helpful in the first 48 hours, but it’s safe to continue using it if it helps.
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can help a lot. These include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen.
Some people may also benefit from physical therapy if the symptoms are not improving.
How long does it take a bruised tailbone to heal?
A bruised tailbone should heal in about 4 weeks. It might be shorter or longer, depending on the person. But you should have a steady improvement in pain over that time period as the injury heals.
When should I see a healthcare provider for a bruised tailbone?
Most bruised tailbones will heal on their own. But you should consider reaching out to your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing:
Severe pain
Pain that’s not improving
Inability to walk or do daily activities because of your symptoms
Difficulty urinating
Difficulty passing a bowel movement, or any leaking of stool
Numbness or weakness in your legs
These symptoms could be signs of a broken tailbone, or a different injury that’s causing your pain. In this case, your healthcare provider may recommend an X-ray or CT scan to take a closer look.
The bottom line
A bruised tailbone is painful. And it doesn’t help that you can feel it with basic activities, such as sitting or changing positions. Most bruised tailbones will heal over a few weeks and shouldn’t keep you off your feet for very long. But if the pain feels severe or not improving with home treatments, it’s a good idea to get checked out by a healthcare provider.
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References
Foye, P. M., et al. (2018). Tailbone pain from coccyx injuries on water slides: A case series. Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Lirette, L. S., et al. (2014). Coccydynia: An overview of the anatomy, etiology, and treatment of coccyx pain. The Ochsner Journal.
MedlinePlus. (2022). Tailbone trauma - aftercare.
National Health Service. (2022). Tailbone (coccyx) pain.
