According to SportsInjuryClinic.net, pain in the coccyx is also known as coccydynia, with the most common symptoms being pain at the tailbone, difficulty sitting down and when moving from sitting to standing. While this condition is often difficult to treat, exercises to relax and strengthen the pelvic floor can help ease the symptoms.
Examining Stomach Muscles
Before you begin any of the following exercises, PelvicPhysiotherapy.com says you should identify any points of tension in your stomach muscles, which could be causing tension in your pelvic floor, and referring pain onto the coccyx. Place your fingers in the area between your navel and your ribs and press firmly. Move down to the middle of the stomach and press firmly then the lower abdomen, between your navel and pelvic bone. Do not tense your muscles as you press -- they should be completely soft. Only where there is tension should your muscles feel taut. Take note of these spots for the next exercises.
Breathing In
According to PelvicPhysiotherapy.com, this exercise can help to relax your abdominal muscles and release the pelvic floor. Lie on your back with your knees bent so they're pointing toward the ceiling and your feet are flat on the floor. Place your fingers firmly on the areas of tension in your stomach and gently breathe in through your nose so that only your stomach fills with air, but your chest and ribcage remain flat. Keep one hand on your chest if it helps to keep it flat. Your exhalation should be extremely gentle, with an open mouth. Your exhalation should also be short and soft. If it isn't, you have probably taken in too much air and not relaxed your stomach completely on the inhalation. The aim is to make the exhaled breath shorter and shorter. Throughout the exercise, make sure your stomach stays soft, with the muscles relaxed. This may take some practice.
Dropping Pelvic Floor
This exercise will help to relieve tension in the lower back and coccyx as well as the pelvic floor. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, legs bent and knees in the air. PelvicPhysiotherapy.com says to find your deep pelvic floor by imagining you are stopping yourself passing wind -- you should feel the muscles deep in your pelvis and buttocks tense. Once you have this sensation, release backward so your lower spine and rectum relax. Repeat this exercise for several minutes. You should never feel the tension and relaxation in a downward direction -- you are aiming to drop the pelvic floor in the direction of the lower spine, as if you are trying to drop it back through the floor. While the release is subtle, you should notice your range of movement increase over time.
Abdominal Strengthening
You should only move on to strengthening exercises once you have mastered the art of releasing the pelvic floor, says PelvicPhysiotherapy.com. Assume the same position as for the other exercises and place your fingers on your lower stomach, just inside your hip bones. Gently draw your lower stomach muscles in as if you are trying to zip up a very tight pair of jeans. Your stomach should slightly draw back and away from your fingers. Hold for a few seconds then release the stomach. Do not pull the stomach in too hard -- this is a very subtle movement that should be felt most in the deep abdominals rather than on the surface. You should feel your lower stomach tighten, but your upper abdomen and waist should remain relaxed. This exercise takes practice and concentration, so repeat several times a day if possible.
References
- Sports Injury Clinic: Coccydynia / Coccyx Pain (Pain in the Tail Bone)
- PelvicPhysiotherapy: Exercise 1 -- Palpation
- PelvicPhysiotherapy: Exercise 2 - Sniff (Breathing In)
- PelvicPhysiotherapy: Exercise 4 - Drop (of Pelvic Floor)
- PelvicPhysiotherapy: Exercise 9 - Abdominal Strengthening (Transversus Abdominus)
