Hooked tailbone and back pain
John, New Jersey, USA - jhpignataro@gmail.com
Posted 2023-10-30
I am a 37 year old male. My back issue began when I was 16 years old in the form of intense pain and discomfort in the neck/ trapezius area. As the pain became worse, even the slight expansion in my chest from breathing out created crackling and discomfort in my upper spine/rib cage. I started seeing a chiropractor and his adjustments to the neck/mid back did help to stabilize the pain and tension when performed. The discomfort, however, would reliably return after intense or rigorous movements, which would throw my back out for 1-2 weeks if not treated.
As I got older, I became more cautious at avoiding things that might trigger my back going out. I was able to do this pretty effectively up until the point I started a landscaping company, at which time I was forced to operate heavy machinery (commercial mowers) for long periods of time. My back issue returned with a vengeance and soon expanded into new areas of the body. I started having issues with my lower back in the form of a new sensory discomfort from the waistband of my pants. The sensation is one of pulling down, like the base of my spine (tailbone) pulling down on the tissue over it. I still have this issue and find myself constantly pulling the back end of my pants up, trying to find support and reduce the constant feeling of downward pressure. The tension goes all the way up to the base of the skull (occipital area) and also results in pain in the mid back. I also have bracing and discomfort in the front of the pelvic area that accompanies the back pain.
The chiropractic adjustments continued to help but no longer resolved the entire problem. I went to a doctor, had scans taken, but there was no clear diagnosis. My doctor then recommended seeing a myofascial massage therapist to try to reduce the tension in the tissue. When I went to see her, she discovered that my tailbone was hooked forward (anterior bent) and that she could not feel it's tip. She asked me if I had ever experienced a trauma to the area, to which I responded that I had. She explained the relationship between the tailbone and upper neck area by the dura tube and how these systems are connected.
She then sent me to another physical therapist and a tailbone specialist. At that point, I had two steroid shots and worked with a therapist who did some amount of internal work. The results from the shots were minimal (in fact, temporarily worse) while the therapy did provide some temporary relief and loosening in the tension (she was an excellent physical therapist). The tailbone specialist also did dynamic x-rays and confirmed the anterior bend in the tailbone and a spur at it's tip.
I am now going to a chiropractic specialist in another state who provides manipulation to the tailbone itself. I am hoping that an adjustment directed at the root of the problem, the tailbone being out of place, and not just in the tissue around it is the key to resolving the issue. As a last resort I have considered surgery. One of my hesitations, other than exhausting available options, is that I have not yet heard of a case similar to mine in which surgery was performed to address a problem caused in the tailbone but mostly experienced at different points up the spine (back/neck). That said, the connection between the tailbone, dura tube, and upper neck remains the most compelling explanation of my symptoms I have yet encountered. What exactly to do with it, I am still trying to figure out. Best wishes to everyone.
