How to avoid tailbone pain? This is the common question that is being asked by nearly half the world. As a matter of fact, the tailbone pain is one of the most debilitating pains. This pain can be dull at times but typically becomes sharp during certain activities, especially during long periods of sitting.
So how you can avoid tailbone pain while you are sitting? What exactly you can do to find relief from this life-worsening pain? We have outlined everything that you need to know regarding tailbone pain and its relief.
Table of Contents
What is Tailbone Pain?
Tailbone pain or Coccydynia is a painful condition that occurs, in or around the bony structure at the bottom of the spine (coccyx). This bottom-most bone, at the termination of the vertebral column, is called tailbone. The tailbone is small and helps you stabilize when you sit. The pain can be dull sometimes, as mentioned earlier, but it can aggravate during some activities. Defecation and sex can also become painful.
The pain in the tailbone can be caused by a number of reasons. It could be:
- Trauma to coccyx during a fall
- Vaginal childbirth
- Degenerative joint changes
How Bad Sitting Posture Aggravate Tailbone Pain?
In addition to that, prolonged sitting and bad sitting posture can also cause tailbone pain. This is due to the fact that all the weight is impacted on the tailbone when you sit. Although you might think that sitting is less strain-full for your body, but it is the other way around. When you sit for hours, you are constantly putting pressure on your spine.
And in case of bad sitting posture, you might hurt your back, more precisely, lower back, even more. Since, our body is meant to put pressure on your sit-bones and thighs, sitting while putting pressure on the back and back joints will radiate the tailbone pain and in most cases, aggravate it, to the worst. That is the reason, improving your posture, especially when you have to do lots of sitting work is important.
In order to improve your posture, you need to sit in a comfortable chair and a comfortable sitting position. For this, we recommend,
- Getting an Ergonomic Office Chair, if you have to sit for prolonged periods.
- Using a Support
- Leaning forward while sitting down
- Keeping your arms flexed on the desk at an angle of 75 to 90o with your elbows
- Keeping your knees leveled with your hips
- Keeping your feet flat on the floor
Get An Ergonomic Office Chair
As mentioned earlier, sitting on a hard surface or an uncomfortable surface, for a long period can cause the tailbone pain and can worsen it as well. Therefore, getting an ergonomic office chair, especially if you sit at least 8 hours a day, is a good idea.
As a matter of fact, chairs can greatly impact your back and your sitting posture. While sitting on a chair, most people tend to slouch down or over the chair, in order to relax. This, rather than relaxing, over-stretches the spinal ligaments and strain discs, especially in the lower back.
Therefore, choosing an ergonomic chair that helps to maximize the back support and maintain a good posture while sitting is important. An ergonomic office chair features:
- Seat height adjustment
- Backrest height adjustment
- Swivel base
- Back angle adjustment
- Arm support
- 5 spoke wheelbase
You can also invest in a desk converter for standing, that will help you avoid the lower back pain, effectively. However, if the standing desk is not in your options, getting an ergonomic and comfortable office chair is a MUST.
Robust Sitting Posture at a Computer
Regardless of the comfort-ability in one’s office chair, prolonged sitting can be harmful and can aggravate tailbone pain. In order to avoid that, you need to be seated in a robust position, while keeping a straight posture. We have already discussed a simple sitting posture above, but it is important to discuss the sitting posture at a computer, to avoid back problems.
Here’s what a good sitting posture at a computer looks like:
- Make sure that the chair height is adjusted to the ideal levels where your feet touch the ground and your knees are in line with your hips.
- Sit up straight.
- The back of the chair should be adjusted in such a way that it reclines at a 100 to 110-degree angle.
- Ensure that the keyboard is close to your arms, in a place, where you don’t have to stretch your arms and back.
- The monitor should be directly placed in front of your face. This helps your neck to stay relaxed and in a neutral position.
- Sit at least around 20 inches away from a computer screen.
- Relax the shoulders and keep your arms relaxed on the desk at an angle of 90=degree to your elbows.
In addition to that, during your working period, make sure to take mini-breaks. During these breaks, get up, stretch and take deep breaths.
5 Best Exercises to Relieve Tailbone Pain
Now that you know how to improve your sitting posture, you also need to know the exercises that can help you relieve tailbone pain. While there is no instant cure, but exercising and stretching can help relieve the pressure on the tailbone pain. Several studies have suggested that exercising for at least 30 minutes can help relieve the back pain.
These 5 Best exercises can be effective in reducing tailbone pain.
Knee Hug with Single Hug
This is one of the simple yet really effective exercises that loosen up the pelvic floor muscles while providing instant relief to the throbbing pain in the lower back. For this,
- Lay on the floor on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Now, bring one knee close to your chest, like you are hugging it. You need to be feeling a slight stretch in your buttocks.
- Hold this position for at least 15 to 20 seconds.
- Now, slowly return to the initial position.
- Do it on either side and repeat it 2 to 3 times a day.
Kneel & Twist
This exercise stretches the iliopsoas, thereby improving the mobility and reducing the tension in the lower back. You can start this exercise by:
- Lying on the floor with the front leg bent at 90-degree angle in front of the body and knee and shin of the back leg on the ground.
- Now keep your body upright, while raising the arms to shoulder height.
- Ensure that shoulders and back don’t rise while twisting.
- From the torso, rotate slowly toward the left side of the body, until the arms are almost in line with the legs.
- Then slowly, return to the center and rotate toward the right side.
- Rotate 4 to 5 times to each side.
Remember, if the tailbone is sore and inflamed, this exercise can worsen the symptoms.
Pigeon Pose Yoga
This is a yoga pose that helps to open the hips, stretches the iliopsoas along with the glute muscles. However, this pose is not at all recommended to people with knee problems. People with tailbone pain can perform this yoga pose, by:
- Beginning on all fours with hands slightly in front of the shoulders.
- After that, bring the left knee forward and place it slightly behind and left to the left hand. Make sure that your ankle is pointing towards the right hip bone.
- Now slide the right leg back and keep it straight. Make it in a position in such a way that the thigh faces down toward the floor. Make sure the hips are in the square. If not, tuck the back toe under to correct the posture.
- Now lower the torso in such a way that the torso moves forward and rests on the folded arms.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat twice or thrice for maximum effect.
Thread the Needle Pose
This exercise stretches the glutes as well as the piriformis. Here’s how it is done.
- Lie down on the back.
- Now raise the knees toward the ceiling, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
- Now bend the leg closer to the body. Rest the left ankle across the right knee.
- You need to loop the hands around the right thigh. After that, pull it towards the chest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat this posture for 2 to 3 times and on either side.
Kneeling Psoas Stretch Pose
Psoas muscles are the hip muscles. This exercise targets Psoas muscles and helps them to flex Stretching these muscles help to relieve tailbone pain that is caused by prolonged sitting. So here’s how you can perform this exercise.
- Kneel upright on the floor.
- Now move one leg in front and place your foot flat on the floor.
- Rest the shin and knee of the back leg on the ground with toes pointing backward. You can place a towel under your knee might be comfortable.
- Rest your hands on the hips, with your chest upright.
- Lean forward slowly, while tucking your pelvis under.
- Hold the stretch for around 20 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side
Conclusion
Tailbone Pain is common due to sedentary lifestyles and prolonged sitting hours in the workplaces. While you can opt for the standing desks to avoid the tailbone pain and lower back pain at all, but using ergonomic office chairs are also worth it. The right chair with the adjustable features makes a great alternative to the standing desks that will help to reduce the pain and its symptoms.
In addition to that, maintaining a good posture and exercising can also help to relieve tailbone pain. However, if these tips don’t work, it is recommended to see your doctor to get the best options for you.
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Desk Advisor
Our team covers many categories to help you hustle better, from ergonomics to productivity, and technology. We are willing to ask questions (lots of them), seek experts, and dig deep into conventional wisdom to see if maybe there might be a better path towards the healthy workspace. We apply what we learn not only to our company culture but also how we deliver information to our readers. Ergonomic and productivity research is changing all the time, and we are 100% dedicated to keeping up with breakthroughs and innovations. You live better if you work better. Whatever has brought you here, we wish you luck on your journey towards better hustle.