Coccygodynia is a disease in which persistent or paroxysmal pain occurs in the coccyx area. Most often, this syndrome occurs in women, due to the anatomical structure of the pelvic bones, the special mobility of the coccyx, as well as childbearing function. Treatment of coccygodynia is most often required in people aged 40 to 60 years, but cases have been recorded in the younger generation. Let's take a closer look at the causes of the disease, symptoms and treatment, both with medication and folk remedies.
Causes of disease
Coccigodynia can develop for a variety of reasons, there are those that are observed most often. First of all, this disease is associated with problems in the coccyx and nerve plexuses in the sacrum, as well as with injuries. Pain syndrome after injury (fall, blow to the coccyx) can be caused by dislocation, displacement, and damage to soft tissues (scar formation, muscle myositis). This is how coccygodynia begins to develop. Symptoms and treatment in women are often associated with diseasesmuscles and nerves of the perineum, postpartum tears, prolapse of the perineum. A characteristic feature of the disease is a long time interval between injury and the onset of pain syndromes. For this reason, people cannot connect the causes of the disease with each other.
Coccygodynia, in addition to injuries, can occur when scars appear in the anus, this may be the result of surgery, constipation or diarrhea. There is also a connection with diseases of the internal organs that are located near the coccyx (pelvic bones, rectum).
Pain syndrome develops due to spasm in the muscles of the perineum, and it is also associated with contraction of the ligaments in the pelvis. By its origin, local hypertonicity is not something super unusual, it is formed naturally by the development of trigger points of the muscles of the skeleton. If such hypertonicity is isolated, it is isolated as an independent disease.
Symptoms
Coccygodynia is constantly accompanied by periodic dull pain in the buttocks and coccyx. With physical activity in the pelvic area, the pain may increase. It can disturb the patient for quite a long period, while the coccyx is curving, the nerve roots are compressed, and muscle and tissue atrophy occurs. There are cases in medicine when an illness after an injury disturbed patients for over 15 years.
The rectum, buttocks, lumbar region, upper legs are areas of localization of pain in coccygodynia. Symptoms and treatment of the disease are obvious, the tactics of measures are selected by the neurosurgeon. Most often inpatients observed:
- depression;
- sleep disorder, insomnia;
- pain spreads to neighboring areas;
- excessive sweating;
- pale skin;
- anxiety;
- decrease in performance;
- restlessness;
- changing gait;
- discomfort and heaviness in the coccyx;
- pain on palpation of the coccyx;
- reduced physical activity.
Pain occurs when the neural structure of the lower spine is damaged. There is a possibility of complications of the neurology of the lower extremities, which leads to complete paralysis, gives impetus to the development of other diseases. Coccygodynia can develop for a long time and manifest itself after some time after injury.
Diagnosis
To establish the diagnosis of coccygodynia, a laboratory and instrumental examination is required. To begin, the clinician should:
- Listen to patient complaints, clarify how often symptoms appear.
- Study the medical history, anamnesis. This will lead to thoughts about the cause of coccygodynia. Symptoms and treatment in women may be related to labor.
- Perform a physical examination of the patient. Depending on gender, age - consultation of a gynecologist, urologist.
Laboratory studies include:
- blood test (general and biochemistry);
- urinalysis;
- coprogram.
Instrumental researchconfirm the diagnosis:
- X-ray of the spine;
- CT and MRI;
- Ultrasound of the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity.
Which doctor should I contact?
Diagnosis of this disease is usually done by a neurosurgeon, who sends him for examination. If painful sensations are found in the coccyx (coccygodynia), this doctor also prescribes treatment.
If you suspect an illness, the primary examination can be carried out by gynecologists, proctologists, traumatologists (it all depends on qualifications). When a diagnosis of coccygodynia is made (the symptoms and treatment are known to these doctors), the patient is prescribed a course of therapy. If the disease accompanies osteochondrosis, the patient can also be referred to a vertebrologist, this narrow specialist deals with pinching of the nerves (diseases of the neuralgic group). The primary reason gives rise to an examination by one or another doctor, in addition to those listed, it can be: urologist, surgeon, obstetrician-gynecologist, pediatrician, andrologist, neurologist.
Coccygodynia: treatment at home
There are many tips that can help you cope with the manifestations of coccygodynia at home. Physiotherapy exercises are considered the most effective. A whole therapeutic complex of special exercises has been developed. If the symptoms of coccygodynia bother you, home treatment involves the use of special seat pads. They allow you to remove the load from the coccyx and hip joints. The disease does not worsen in such a sparing regimen.
If the strong disturbpain, you can use drugs of the diclofenac group. The substance is part of many ointments that relieve pain in the joints and spine.
It should be remembered that it will not be possible to get rid of coccygodynia completely at home, because we are talking about degenerative processes in the coccyx itself. Folk remedies for pain relief can only be used in combination with therapy prescribed by a doctor.
Medicated treatment
Drug treatment of coccygodynia includes the use of those drugs that can eliminate the manifestations of pain. For this, injections are prescribed that stop the development of inflammation in soft tissues, as well as the transmission of a pain impulse through the nerve roots. The drugs used are:
- Movalis.
- Lidocaine.
- Novocaine.
Additionally assigned for reception:
- Diprospan.
- "Hydrocortisone".
On your own, without a doctor's prescription, you should not use drugs to treat coccygodynia. This can only aggravate the course of the disease, cause complications.
Treatments such as Lyrica and Tebantine are also sometimes used in treatment and can only be purchased with a prescription. They quickly have an analgesic effect, stop exacerbation and inflammation of soft tissues.
How to relieve pain?
When considering a disease such as coccygodynia (symptoms and treatment), patient feedback also needs to be considered. Whatsay those who suffer from an illness? How do you manage to relieve pain, which sometimes becomes simply unbearable? Many speak positively about the relief of nerve endings with the help of novocaine blockades. The procedure is as follows: in the area of inflammation, where the neuronal endings are located, a ready-made solution is introduced into the articular bag itself. The effect is very fast, good, but brings only temporary relief. The method can be used at any stage of the disease, at different stages of treatment during exacerbation.
Folk remedies
If coccygodynia is established, treatment with folk remedies will help relieve pain. It is worth noting that these methods have an effect in the initial stages of the disease, when pain occurs periodically. In most cases, these recipes should be combined with medical methods.
Painkillers have:
- Lotions based on oil of fir, lavender, grated raw potatoes.
- Iodine grid.
- Painting suppositories (based on lidocaine or novocaine).
- In folk advice, there is often a recipe using geraniums: you can take baths by adding a decoction of the plant there. Compresses with geraniums on the affected area also help relieve exacerbation.
- A lot of positive feedback is found on the use of sea buckthorn candles. But it is worth saying that this method facilitates coccygodynia in cases where it is caused by rectal fissures, hemorrhoids, paraproctitis, and ailments.crotch.
- Relief of symptoms using potato sprouts: take a glass of potato sprouts, 500 ml of rubbing alcohol. Sprouts should not be more than two centimeters. Rinse them and dry them thoroughly. Put in a jar and pour alcohol. Within ten days, the tincture should be in a dark place. Apply to rub into a sore spot. Drinking is strictly prohibited! It contains poison. All methods must be coordinated with your doctor.
Tips
In the treatment of coccygodynia, a rosehip decoction is used to relieve inflammation. A liter of boiling water is poured into 100 g of fruit. Boiling is not required. Leave for half an hour. Strain the broth and store in the dark at room temperature. Take 100 ml three times a day.
To restore diseased tissues in the coccyx area, dressings with aloe are applied. The plant has reparative properties. A leaf of aloe is cut off from the bottom of the trunk, where it is more fleshy, the spines are cut off. Divide the sheet in the middle into two parts. Spread on gauze or bandage. The wet side should be in contact with the skin. Fix the compress.
Immunity plays a huge role in the recovery of the body. To strengthen it, it is recommended to consume daily citrus fruits rich in vitamins C, A, E.
To prevent the development of osteoporosis, you need to include more fish in your diet, which is rich in phosphorus, and also consume dairy products containing calcium.
Physical Education
In the treatment of coccygodynia, exercise is prescribed, but it is important to observesome principles:
- When the disease worsens, it is forbidden to perform exercises that are aimed at the active mobility of the coccyx.
- You can train paravertebral muscles only in static mode.
- In the treatment of the disease, it is necessary to use exercises to the maximum to eliminate motor stereotypes.
- There should be no pain when performing physical movements.
These exercises that affect the functioning of the hip joints are used directly.
Birch. Starting position - lying on the mat. A soft, comfortable cushion can be placed under the lower back. Stretch your legs up while supporting your back with your hands. The toes should aim towards the ceiling. If it is difficult to do the exercise at first, you can lean on the wall.
Exercise with the ball. Squeezing the gymnastic ball. Starting position - on the stomach, legs apart. Place a ball between your thighs. You need to squeeze it for 15 seconds, then relax. This exercise well trains the atrophied muscles of the back and the coccyx.
Boat. Starting position - lying on your stomach. Raise your legs, arms, while not bending them, hold for 15 seconds, relax. Increase time as much as possible. This exercise strengthens your back muscles and abs.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy in the treatment of coccygodynia (pain in the coccyx) involves the use of ultrasound and electromagnetic waves. Their influence makes it possible to eliminatetissue defects without surgery. The effect is noticeable in the early stages of the disease. A visit to the physiotherapy room is not considered mandatory, it is an addition to general therapy. These methods make it possible to prevent the development of exacerbations of the disease.
Prevention
Treatment of coccygodynia is not easy. To prevent the disease from turning into more severe forms, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations and take preventive measures:
- lead a he althy lifestyle;
- go in for sports - strengthen the muscular corset of the lower back, buttocks, back;
- eat right, consume vitamins, minerals;
- do pelvic exams every year.
It is very important to get rid of chronic diseases that indirectly or directly lead to coccygodynia: paraproctitis, hemorrhoids, osteochondrosis, pinched nerve fibers, flat feet, hallux valgus.
