Coccyx pain is often results after a fall on your backside. It can also surface following childbirth. In 33% of cases however the cause of pain is unknown. It makes it very painful to sit down. Various researchers, Postacchini and Massobrio and Kim and Suk, believe that the shape and alignment of your coccyx is associated with the incidence of Coccydynia. The coccyx, anatomically, is made up of 2-3 small unfused moveable bony segments and may vary in length. The coccyx may be angled anteriorly (forward) sharply. It may also deviate laterally or to the side. In complicated cases a combination of the 2 may occur. It is believed that people with longer coccyx are more prone to injury, hence to Coccydynia. Coccydynia is five times more common in women. This may be due to the anatomy of the pelvic girdle which leaves the coccyx more exposed. It may be caused by Childbirth, trauma (falls), repetitive strain and surgery.

Sufferers will often report being headachy. This is because the spinal cord attaches to the coccyx bone and a heavy fall can cause the coccyx to become subluxated (misaligned) anteriorly which subsequently tugs on the spinal cord. Coccygeal subluxation though rare can be extremely painful and self limiting. There are effective treatments available, and the great majority of sufferers can be helped. Though it may be recommended by your medical doctor, to have the Sacro Coccygeal joint injected with corticosteroids, often a course of Chiropractic adjustments may be a less invasive approach. Chiropractic is safe and effective with regards to treating Coccydynia. Chiropractors at the Lisburn and Bangor Chiropractic Clinics are not only interested in your coccyx pain but also in balancing your spine.

Your Chiropractor will most probably X-Ray the area to best understand if there is a misaligned coccyx and the direction of the deviation. Treatment will involve various soft tissue releases, spinal and coccyx adjustments. Occasionally the Chiropractor may use an instrument called the Activator. Evolved from nearly 40 years of empirical study and 15 years of clinical research, the Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique (AMCT) uses the latest advances in orthopedic, neurological and chiropractic examinations to seek joint dysfunction in the spinal column and extremities for improved patient care. The instrument itself produces consistent low-force, high-speed chiropractic adjustment.

We also use the Thompson Chiropractic Technique. The technique is based on the body's natural biomechanics and Newton's Law of Inertia, which states that "an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an equal and opposite force". Thompson Chiropractic Technique uses this law of inertia via a "drop piece" in the table to help adjust joints that are not moving normally.

During a drop table adjustment, the table is first set to the patient's weight. The doctor then places the contact hand on the segment to be adjusted. A gentle thrust is applied, setting that area of contact into motion, which in turn, activates the drop piece. When the drop piece stops, the force of gravity, combined with the force of the doctor's thrust, is translated into the targeted joint and the soft tissue of the body, producing the desired change in the joint and the surrounding muscles.

Based on over 50 years of research and clinical use, drop piece adjustments are lighter, gentler, and without many of the twisting positions that can accompany diversified adjusting.

Your Chiropractor will prescribe a number of exercises, recommend certain cushions which will help improve core stability and reduce the discomfort which so often limits quality of life in Coccydynia patient.

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