Is it possible to sprain your tailbone from working out?

whisperwhitley1
whisperwhitley1 Posts: 10
edited February 7 in Fitness and Exercise
Three nights ago I was doing squats and stretches and sit ups ( I want to get my butt in shape) and at the time I was feeling fine but the following night my tail bone began to ache. It started off as a dull ache, nothing serious. Last night was when it became horrible. I am in so much pain..walking hurts, sitting hits. Everything I do makes my tail bone hurt. I just took Tylenol, I hope it helps me even a little. Just enough to sleep at least. Do you think me working out caused me to sprain it?

Also, I hate taking pills and I am a bit nervous about the tylenol. I took it 20 minutes ago.

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Some muscles do attach to the coccyx (tailbone), so it's possible to dislocate or occasionally fracture it. If it doesn't start improving within a day or 2, you probably should see a doctor. In the mean time, i'd take an anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen = Advil, Motrin, etc). If you take Tylenlol too, it's good to alternate it with Ibuprofen, to give a rest to your liver (which processes Tylenol).
    You could try seeing if ice helps too.

    Let us know how it goes!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It's unlikely you've probably just pulled a muscle in your back and the pain is referred. To dislocate or fracture your coccyx or sacrum you need direct forceful trauma so that is even more unlikely.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,856 Member
    I'm suffering from a sore tailbone at the moment too (I'm pregnant), I went to see my osteopath this afternoon and it's my pelvis and hips that are off kilter, which has resulted in the muscle next to my tailbone tightening up and pulling it to the left - a little gentle manipulation and it's feeling much better already.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,661 Member
    Three nights ago I was doing squats and stretches and sit ups ( I want to get my butt in shape) and at the time I was feeling fine but the following night my tail bone began to ache. It started off as a dull ache, nothing serious. Last night was when it became horrible. I am in so much pain..walking hurts, sitting hits. Everything I do makes my tail bone hurt. I just took Tylenol, I hope it helps me even a little. Just enough to sleep at least. Do you think me working out caused me to sprain it?

    Also, I hate taking pills and I am a bit nervous about the tylenol. I took it 20 minutes ago.

    Go to the doctors in case it is something to do with your discs in your back. Until you know what it is you cannot treat it properly, some injuries require cold packs, others require heat - put the wrong one on the injured area and you can make it 100% worse.

    If it is inflamed Ibuprofen can help, but what if it is not inflamed - be really careful and definitely get it checked out, that is the only way to know for sure.


    Edited to add, sometimes where the injury appears to be, is not where the actual injury is - an example, I used to suffer from really bad neck problems sometimes, it turned out, although the damaged area was in my back and spine, it was not in my neck but at the bottom of my spine, once that was sorted, so was my neck.
  • whisperwhitley1
    whisperwhitley1 Posts: 10
    The Tylenol helped- took pain from a 9 to a 3. This morning I feel about the same. It only hurts if I sit down so I've been staying on my feet. I don't want to take any more medicine, I'm not a pill person at all. If the pain isn't gone by tomorrow I'll call my doctor.
  • whisperwhitley1
    whisperwhitley1 Posts: 10
    It's unlikely you've probably just pulled a muscle in your back and the pain is referred. To dislocate or fracture your coccyx or sacrum you need direct forceful trauma so that is even more unlikely.

    I don't remember hurting myself at all so hopefully I just pulled muscles around the tail bone. All the stretching I did to my rear probably pulled muscles I have never used
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I had the exact same thing 2 weeks ago. I have a history of back problems, and while exercising I'd actually hurt the muscles in my lower back, which in turn had affected my tailbone. Like you, I couldn't sit down without it hurting a lot, but standing or walking was more bearable.

    It's unlikely that you've damaged your tailbone, it needs some fairly severe and direct trauma for it to be damaged.

    Take it easy for a couple of days and if it's no better then go to your doctor. Also, don't be worried about the pills. Short-term it will do you far more good than harm - the common consenus now with back pain or anything similar is to try and move as normally as possible - spending all day on your feet will not help you recover. If the pills allow you to do that, take them, at least for a couple of days.
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