Coccydynia, or tailbone pain, is a common cause. It commonly arises due to trauma but may arise due to no precipitating factors.
A careful examination is warranted as neuropathic pain attributable to the pudendal, inferior cluneal or even the posterior femoral cutaneous nerves may cause such sensations.
Conservative and noninvasive treatment include analgesia and modification to the seat area. Analgesia is not to simply numb the body to pain but also to improve quality of life and function overall.
More invasive management may be provided by a pain physician. This is typically and ultrasound or xray guided procedure done in the hospital. These imaging devices help direct a small needle to the tailbone area to deposit local anaesthetic and steroids to 'deactivate' the pain generator.
Commonly pain relief is quoted as 3 months. There is a possibility that once the pain generator is relieved, the recurrence of symptoms may not be so distressing the next time round. Hence repeat pain injections may not be required down the road.
