BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTailbone traumaCoccyx injury Tailbone trauma is an injury to the small bone at the lower tip of the spine. Considerations Actual fractures of the tailbone (coccyx) are not common. Tailbone trauma usually involves bruising of the bone or pulling of the ligaments.FracturesIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article BruisingBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in la...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Backward falls onto a hard surface, such as a slippery floor or ice, are the most common cause of this injury. Symptoms Symptoms include:Bruising on the lower part of the spine Pain when sitting or putting pressure on the tailbone First Aid For tailbone trauma when no spinal cord injury is suspected:Spinal cord injurySpinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord. It may result from direct injury to the cord itself or indirectly from disease of the nearby bones,...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Relieve pressure on the tailbone by sitting on an inflatable rubber ring or cushions. Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) for pain. Take a stool softener to avoid constipation.If you suspect injury to the neck or spine, DO NOT attempt to move the person. Do Not DO NOT attempt to move the person if you think there may be injury to the spinal cord. When to Contact a Medical Professional Call 911 or the local emergency number for immediate medical help if:Spinal cord injury is suspected The person can't move Pain is severe Prevention Keys to preventing tailbone trauma include:DO NOT run on slippery surfaces, such as around a swimming pool. Dress in shoes with good tread or slip-resistant soles, especially in snow or on ice.Open ReferencesReferencesBond MC, Abraham MK. Pelvic injuries. In: Walls RM ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 46.Vora A, Chan S. Coccydynia. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 99.AllVideoImagesTogTailbone (coccyx) - illustration The tailbone (coccyx) is the small bone at the lower tip of the spine. The most common cause of injury to the tailbone is a backward fall onto a hard surface, such as a slippery floor or ice.Tailbone (coccyx)illustrationTailbone (coccyx) - illustration The tailbone (coccyx) is the small bone at the lower tip of the spine. The most common cause of injury to the tailbone is a backward fall onto a hard surface, such as a slippery floor or ice.Tailbone (coccyx)illustrationSelf Care Tailbone trauma - aftercareRelated Information Broken bone(Injury)Bleeding into the skin(Symptoms) Review Date: 2/8/2024 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Tailbone traumaCoccyx injury Tailbone trauma is an injury to the small bone at the lower tip of the spine. Considerations Actual fractures of the tailbone (coccyx) are not common. Tailbone trauma usually involves bruising of the bone or pulling of the ligaments.FracturesIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article BruisingBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in la...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Backward falls onto a hard surface, such as a slippery floor or ice, are the most common cause of this injury. Symptoms Symptoms include:Bruising on the lower part of the spine Pain when sitting or putting pressure on the tailbone First Aid For tailbone trauma when no spinal cord injury is suspected:Spinal cord injurySpinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord. It may result from direct injury to the cord itself or indirectly from disease of the nearby bones,...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Relieve pressure on the tailbone by sitting on an inflatable rubber ring or cushions. Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) for pain. Take a stool softener to avoid constipation.If you suspect injury to the neck or spine, DO NOT attempt to move the person. Do Not DO NOT attempt to move the person if you think there may be injury to the spinal cord. When to Contact a Medical Professional Call 911 or the local emergency number for immediate medical help if:Spinal cord injury is suspected The person can't move Pain is severe Prevention Keys to preventing tailbone trauma include:DO NOT run on slippery surfaces, such as around a swimming pool. Dress in shoes with good tread or slip-resistant soles, especially in snow or on ice.Open ReferencesReferencesBond MC, Abraham MK. Pelvic injuries. In: Walls RM ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 46.Vora A, Chan S. Coccydynia. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 99.