How to fix Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy (Coccyx)
Published on October 14, 2021 – Last Updated on March 13, 2024
When you become pregnant, your hormones cause the ligaments at the base of your spine to loosen. As a result, you are more susceptible to back pain and discomfort in this area. The tailbone pain during pregnancy is more than just an annoyance. It can cause severe pelvic stability, bladder function, and mobility problems.
These aches turn into significant pain in their lower backs or “tailbone,” also known as their coccyx, for about one-third of all pregnant women. The coccyx sits at the bottom of your spine and helps stabilize you when sitting while acting as an attachment point for pelvic floor muscles that support your bladder, bowel, and uterus. To fix tailbone region pain during pregnancy (coccyx), it’s essential to understand what causes it so you can take steps towards preventing it from affecting you again.
What Causes Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy?
To find relief for the coccyx pain, you need to understand how it develops and take steps to prevent it from affecting you again in the future.
During pregnancy, the main cause of back muscles pain can be traced back to the hormones that loosen the pelvic ligaments. In addition, if your pelvis is not stable, it will directly impact your bladder and bowel control.
The hormone relaxin helps loosen the pelvic ligaments to make room for the baby to grow and enable you to birth your child. However, the hormone relaxin can cause tighter contraction of pelvic floor muscles, leading to dull pain.
During pregnancy, it’s essential to understand what causes pelvic pain so you can take steps towards preventing it from affecting you again.
What Are the Treatments for Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy?
Treatments for tailbone pain experienced during pregnancy vary depending on its severity. Most women benefit from frequent stretching, exercises, and changing positions when sitting, while others may need medication or steroid injections. For severe cases, you might be recommended surgery for coccygectomy (tailbone removal).
How to ease tailbone pain pregnancy?
The first step to address the exacerbated tailbone pain is to rest, relax, and avoid any straining or pressure on your back. You might also want to try some stretching that helps release the tightness in the pelvic floor muscles. When you’re sitting down, try getting up every 10-15 minutes and taking a few steps to ease stiffness in the lower back.
Depending on how intense you are experiencing pain, adding some ice packs or heating pads might also help relieve your tailbone hip pain.
The safest way to treat tailbone-related pains is usually with over-the-counter medications that ease inflammation or muscle relaxers for very intense pain. However, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications, especially if you are experiencing severe back pain.
In the first trimester, many women experience pelvic pain and tailbone strain related to the rapid hormone changes taking place.
In the second trimester, you might feel sharp tailbone pain like a knife stabbing your bottom when you move or cough. The good news is that it will subside once the baby drops lower into your pelvis.
In the third trimester, back pain, tailbone pain, and sciatica from your baby’s weight will be a problem. Try to avoid sitting as much as you can.
In all cases, don’t do any vigorous exercise that causes strain or pressure on the abdominal muscles until you give birth.
What About Exercises for Tailbone Pain While Pregnant?
Here are a couple of exercises that can help ease tailbone area pain:
Kegel Exercises:
The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and rectum, so they’re critical in managing tailbone pain. They also aid in childbirth, so it’s important to strengthen them if you want to avoid any tearing or muscle damage when giving birth. The Kegel exercises help strengthen these muscles by giving them a workout and toning them up. Here’s how to do the Kegel exercises:
1) While sitting, squeeze your pelvic region muscles as if you were trying to stop urine mid-flow.
2) Hold it for 5 seconds, then release and relax for another 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times or more (if possible).
3) When you get better, add a second set to the exercise and hold each squeeze for 10 seconds.
Cat/Cow Stretch (Cat Cow Pose):
This yoga stretch helps relieve pressure on the coccyx while strengthening your core muscles. Here’s how to do it:
1) Start on all fours and place your head and chest between your arms.
2) Inhale, then exhale while you round your spine, looking towards the ceiling.
3) Inhale and pull your abs inward while arching your back. Think of a cat stretching its back after getting out of bed in the morning. Hold for 3 seconds.
4) Exhale and return to all fours. Repeat five times, focusing on breathing while doing it.
Tips on how to pregnant women can do physical therapy to alleviate low back pain
1) Here are a couple of tips that will help you have a proper posture while sitting on a chair:
–Sit squarely on the edge of the seat, with your weight equally distributed between both buttocks.
–Avoid leaning forward or craning your neck too much. Instead, try to maintain an upright, neutral spine alignment.
2) Using an exercise ball can reduce pain and discomfort by strengthening the core and relaxing the muscles.
Here are a couple of exercises that can help:
-Side Bend:
Place your hand on the middle of the ball and lean to one side as far as you comfortably can. Hold for 5 seconds, then return to starting position. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides. Rest before beginning another set.
-Plank:
Place your forearms and elbows on the ball and shift your weight onto it. Make sure that your hips lift as you do this so that only your toes and forearms are touching the floor. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then rest for a few seconds before repeating.
Pelvic Floor Muscles related to coccyx pain
The pelvic area has tremendous importance in women’s health because of its reproductive function. The prevalence of pelvic pain in women has been reported to vary from 10% to 53%. The direct cause of pelvic pain is unknown; however, many authors consider that it can be related to abnormalities in the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles support the pelvic viscera and maintain the urogenital diaphragm and the anal canal. The muscle responsible for support of the pelvic viscera is the levator ani muscle; it forms a sling-shaped muscular mass that covers the posterior aspect of the pelvis.
The pelvic muscles are related to coccyx pain because they are in charge of supporting the pelvic viscera. However, the levator ani muscle is the only one in charge of supporting the pelvic viscera.
Can you get tailbone pain in early pregnancy?
Yes, you can get coccyx pain and low back pain during early pregnancy.
Pregnancy is a condition in which the woman’s body goes through significant physical changes. There will be a lot of weight gain and hormone fluctuation during pregnancy. This can affect any lower back pain you already have. In addition, the ligaments that hold the pelvis together become relaxed or more flexible during pregnancy, placing added stress on the muscles and joints.
When to Call the Doctor About Tailbone Pain
It is important to know when you should call your doctor about tailbone pain.
If the pain becomes unbearable or if it does not seem to go away, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Other symptoms that may require a visit include fever, excessive vomiting and nausea, changes in urination such as difficulty starting the flow of urine or leakage of urine during coughing spells, and an inability to control gas or bowel movements. If these symptoms occur, you should contact your primary care physician immediately for advice on how best to proceed with treatment.
How to relieve pressure on your tailbone
A seat cushion can help if you have an achy tailbone. You might think of a donut pillow, but it might not be suitable for you. Instead, we recommend a wedge-shaped cushion without the cutout for the tailbone region because it does not put pressure on other parts of your body.
You can also use an extra pillow when you sleep to prevent your hips and knees from becoming misaligned.
We also suggest another excellent article on how to ease pregnancy upper back pain.
Practicing Hypnobirthing to Reduce Pregnancy Pain
Hypnobirthing is a type of holistic, natural birth preparation that focuses on deep relaxation and releasing fear from the birthing experience. Hypnobirthing techniques use music, visualization, breathing exercises, and affirmations to help parents-to-be prepare for a less painful delivery. It is based on the belief that pain has more to do with a woman’s mental state than the actual sensations themselves.
“I had a six-hour labor, and without hypnobirthing, I know it would have been longer,” says Tessa Capotosto, one mother who practiced Hypnobirthing techniques for birthing her son. “It wasn’t until much later that I realized how important mindset is in birth.”
If you are experiencing any real pain, then hypnobirthing may help you relax and manage pain more efficiently. In addition, you can easily take care of your day-to-day life with hypnobirthing. Hypnobirthing is a technique that you can use throughout your entire pregnancy. It helps with the birthing process and reduces pain, but it also helps reduce stress and anxiety, leading to a shorter labor time.
We recommend using the Hypnobirthing App for Calm Pregnancy and birth to alleviate your coccyx pain as it makes a huge difference. You can download the app from here:
Conclusion Tailbone Pain in Pregnancy
If you are experiencing tailbone pain during pregnancy, it is essential to get relief fast. The best way to do so will depend on the severity of your symptoms. Mild pain can be relieved with a heating pad or by applying pressure with a tennis ball (as we previously stated). Severe cases may require medications and even surgery in extreme instances where bones have been broken due to trauma or chronic injury from repetitive motion such as running or cycling. Whatever the case may be, contact your doctor immediately for treatment appropriate for your situation!
