Tail bone pain is very common and very normal to feel during pregnancy. It may be a sharp or dull pain at the end of the spine in the lower back, just between the upper buttocks. Tail bone pain is a common term for coccydynia or coccyx pain, coccyx is the very bottom portion of the spine commonly called tail bone.
In this article we will discuss the cause of tailbone pain along with some simple exercises to treat tailbone during pregnancy. Finally, we will end the article with some easy and effective home remedies to treat tailbone pain during pregnancy.
In This Article
- What Causes Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy?
- Can Pregnancy Aggravate Tailbone Pain?
- Exercises to Treat Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
- Top 12 Effective and Easy Remedies For Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
- Can Tailbone Pain Be Cured?
- FAQ’s
What Causes Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy?
The tail bone is located just behind the uterus. As the baby grows his or her bones, it puts a lot of pressure against your tail bone which causes this pain. One more cause can be pregnancy hormones. During pregnancy, pregnancy hormones such as relaxing and estrogen are released which help the ligaments to relax, so when they start to relax, it can cause discomfort and pain. These actually help to prepare the body for the baby’s birth.
Can Pregnancy Aggravate Tailbone Pain?
If the tailbone pain is pre-existing due to some conditions, pregnancy can aggravate it further. Some of these pre-existing conditions are:
- Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) makes ligaments that align your pelvic bone too stretchy or relaxed, which causes pain in the pelvic region, especially in the pubic bone. Tail bone pain associated with pubic pain may radiate down a leg, but not below the knees.
- Injury in the lower back.
- Due to constipation.
- Cancer in the pelvic area.
- During the third trimester of pregnancy, the baby’s head can press upon the coccyx, which may cause pain.
A pregnant woman must not sit or stand for long periods of time and should keep on changing her position every few hours.
Exercises to Treat Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
The following exercises can prove useful to help you relieve the tailbone pain to a great extent. Always consult your doctor before taking up a new exercise regime:
1. Standing Pelvic Tilt
Stand straight with your back against the wall and palms facing the wall. Place your feet about shoulder-width apart. Now push the small of your back (lower part of the back where it curves in most) against the wall. Hold for a few seconds and then return to the standing position. Gradually increasing the number, you can do up to 10 times.
2. Torso Twist
Sit cross-legged on the floor. Hold your right foot with your left hand. Then place your left palm behind you on the floor and slowly twist your upper body to the right. Hold for a few seconds then return to starting position. Switch hands and repeat on the other side. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions on both sides.
3. Swimming
Swimming is a good exercise to counteract the increased back strain from pregnancy.
4. Walking
Regular walking for at least 20 minutes will help unblock the strained muscles.
5. Prenatal Yoga
Yoga poses such as the cat-cow poses can be very effective in treating tailbone pain in pregnancy. Prenatal yoga also has several other benefits.
[Read: Yoga Poses Every Pregnant Woman Should Know]
Top 12 Effective and Easy Remedies For Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
Here are the top 12 home remedies to treat tailbone pain during pregnancy:
1. Use Special Cushions For Sitting
Avoid sitting on hard surfaces. You can try sitting on the ‘donut’ pillow or U-pillow. You can also try to use an exercise ball to sit to avoid direct pressure on the tailbone.
2. Wear a Maternity Belt During Late Pregnancy
Wearing a maternity belt can also help at the end of the second trimester and during the third, it wraps over and under your belly and gives support by lifting the belly. It reduces fatigue by reducing the amount of work the mid and lower back has to do.
3. Avoid Standing or Sitting For Long Periods
Keep changing positions and take frequent short walks.
[Read: Standing For Long Hours In Pregnancy]
4. Apply Heating Pads
Sitting on heating pads or warm soak baths may provide some relief.
5. Sleeping Position
Sleeping positions matter. Sleeping on your back will increase the pain. The best position to sleep in pregnancy is on your left. Apart from relieving back pain it also improves blood circulation to the placenta.
6. Avoid Bending
Do not bend over to pick objects if you suffer from tailbone pain.
7. Wear Flat Toed Shoes
Avoid wearing high heels during pregnancy to get relief from the tailbone instead wear flats and shoes with cushy soles inside. Is it safe to wear heels during pregnancy?
8. Mild Painkillers
When you are pregnant, always talk to your doctor about your discomfort, your doctor may prescribe you mild painkillers to relieve the tailbone pain. Do not administer.
9. Empty the Bowel Regularly
You can do some measures to relieve constipation as it can worsen the pain as a full rectum puts pressure on the tailbone.
10. Massage on the Tailbone
You can get a massage from a pregnancy chiropractor in the tailbone area.
11. Avoid Jerk
Avoid jerking your lower back by standing suddenly from a sitting position.
12. Sleep on Your Left Side
Do not sleep on your back, as it will only make your tailbone undergo more stress and thus be more painful. Sleep on your left side, always.
[Read: Sleeping On Back During Pregnancy]
Can Tailbone Pain Be Cured?
Pain in the tailbone during pregnancy is no doubt, very disturbing. However, you should be careful and make sure you are not making mistakes that will only aggravate your condition.
There is no cure for tailbone pain during pregnancy, but the pain usually goes away shortly, sometimes in a few weeks or in months, or after delivery. If the pain lasts for more than a few days or if it is severe, see your doctor about any unusual symptoms you are having so the two of you can come up with the best solution.
Hope this article on Remedies For Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy Is helpful. Happy pregnancy.
Read Also: SPD During Pregnancy
FAQ’s
1. Does Tailbone Pain Mean Labor Is Near?
The hormone relaxes the pelvic ligaments so that the uterus may expand and the baby can be delivered. The pelvic floor muscles, which aid in bodily stability, may contract more strongly as a result. As the pelvic floor muscles are connected to the tailbone, these contractions can lead to tailbone pain. So, yes. even if not always, tailbone pain can be an indication of nearing labor.
2. Will Tailbone Pain Go Away After Pregnancy?
Pain in the tailbone is quite frequent after giving birth. Tailbone healing and pain relief may take between 6 and 12 weeks. In the instance of tailbone damage during delivery, which commonly occurs if you had an instrumental delivery or your baby was in the face-up position, it may take months or years to recover tailbone pain.
