tailbone and back pain- help
 

I injured my tailbone in a car accident 33 years ago, then fell on it badly 9 years later. Lived with it ok until a year ago. it just flared up. Had low back pain with it. By Oct. 07 I was in excruciating pain. I've tried prolotherapy, which helped until the last 2 treatments, physical therapy, which gave me back a lot of mobility, and lately epidural injections. The injections didn't work and the Dr. says I'm looking at a coccyjectomy, removing the tailbone. I can hardly sit on any surface. I've bought cushions and made cushions which allow me to sit for 20-30 min tops. I can only sleep on my stomach which is reeking havoc on my neck. My MRI show's a herniation at L2-L3 and a sitting xray shows my tailbone to be hyper mobile. I'm miserable, can't sleep and don't know what else to do. Help...

Hi there dlightne.

Your subject line caught my eye right away. I completely understand your pain and your frustration with the tailbone. I had numerous injuries to mine, but one day out of the blue I woke up in terrible pain, and it just stayed that way for years and years.

Finding other people to talk about it with is so difficult, but in my searches I did finally find a group who have and are experiencing exactly what you are dealing with and stories of what they have done. I hope it will be alright to share that which I'll do in a minute here.

Mine, knock on wood, is nearly gone. I know this will sound hard to believe and it has been for me, because I have never liked chiropractors. I found one who has helped me tremendously, and I didn't even go to him for the tailbone pain but for my sacroiliac pain. The tailbone was a pleasant surprise.

He isn't, however, your 'normal' chiro who grabs your head and twists it around, pushes on you and cracks. I can't stand that at all. It took a couple of months with him but I am amazed at his talent.

I hope it's okay to post this link here because I know how difficult it is to find places devoted to the subject of coccyx pain.

Let me see if I can find that coccyx group for you. http://www.coccyx.org/

I am just SO sorry for the pain you're having. It is truly awful and I hope you do find the relief you need.

That surgery has been a life saver for a lot of people, but you can read accounts of those at that web site. Good luck!

But let me also say!!!!!!....

This is a wonderful community! If you need support of any kind, the folks here have open arms and are ready with kind words and lots of comfort.

So do check around. If nothing else, as I said, you'll make some great friends here.

I just wanted you to know that there is a comprehensive coccyx support group out there.

Hello and Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry for all the pain you are suffering from, but I see our Doody has given you some great info. Please take a look around and make yourself at home. As Doody said, this place is amazing, informative and friendly.

Glad you found us.
http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...dyojhnhdus.gif

here is link to our Spinal Disorders and Back Pain Forum. you will find many carring and and informed members there to help.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

sorry that you have the need to find us, but glad you found us. welcome. :hug:

Hi and welcome to NeuroTalk!

Hello and welcome from me as well.

I feel your pain! Oh my how I feel it!

I've fractured my coccynx once and fractured my sacrum (above the coccynx) twice, so there have been extended lengths of time where I either could not sit down at all, or had to carry a cushion everywhere I went. I still have a special cushion in the chair I spend most time in at home, otherwise my tail suffers and so do I.

Have a look around the site, I'm sure you'll find others like you and I.

Hi, Dlightne! :Wave-Hello: Welcome to NeuroTalk!

I'm sorry you're suffering this way. :( Do look at the links offered and let us know if we can help you navigate the forums. :)

Thanks so much to all of you for responding. Most people just don't understand how bad the pain is, even family members who see my misery. I'll be checking out the links. I got in a chat room for the first time ever and didn't know what I was doing but everyone was so nice. I think a couple of you were there.

Here are a few more links re: Coccygectomy - in case you've not seen the info. :wink::


http://www.coccyx.org/personal/ectomy.htm

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disord...bone_pain.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15792260

Dlightne, it looks like some of us here do understand how bad that pain is! It's debilitating! I wish for the best of luck for you. You're not alone in this kind of suffering. That doesn't help the pain, but at least you know others are around sharing the same problems.

I've had so many people suggest first to get one of those doughnut things to sit on. That made the pain even worse. I have 2 really good t-bone seats to put on my chairs and they've helped.

:hug:

going to surgeon for tailbone
 

My insurance co. could only give me 2 names of orthopedic spine surgeons in my network and only one of them will do a coccyxgectomy. It makes me nervious to go to a doc with no info about him. His name is Dr. David Beeks in Oregon, OH and Defiance, OH. Has anyone heard of him. I go to see him Tues the 24th. I would feel so much better if someone could tell me anything about him. To top it off he is 2 hours away. I'll be laying down as I can't sit to ride more than 20 minutes. Don't drive at all.
Anyway, thanks again for being there and all the web referrals. I have found some great info and enough testimonials, many good and many not so good, that I do feel surgury is probably the best option for me.
One more thing, what cushions are the best. I've tried a few and nothing works very well so I stopped spending money on them.