How long to heal tailbone fracture?
So, you managed to crack your tailbone? Ouch! That’s not a great feeling, is it? The tailbone, also known as the coccyx, might just be one of the most underrated and overlooked body parts – at least until it gets injured. And boy oh boy, does that hurt!
We can’t promise to make your healing process any faster (we’re impatiently waiting on science for that), but we do have some tips and tricks for you. Keep reading to find out how long it takes for a broken tailbone to heal!
What is a Tailbone Fracture?
Before we get into healing times, let’s first take a look at what actually happens when we fracture our trusty little tailbones.
A tailbone fracture occurs when there’s an injury or trauma that causes bone damage in this area. Some common causes of injuries include falling down hard on the buttocks or lower back region, playing contact sports like football or rugby, or experiencing childbirth (ouch, sorry ladies!).
It’s essentially like breaking any other bone in your body – except way less convenient because sitting down becomes extremely uncomfortable (read: agonizing).
Diagnosing A Broken Tailbone
You’ll want confirmation from a medical professional. If you suspect that cracked posterior end of yours has taken quite the beating lately then schedule yourself an appointment with your doctor immediately.
The doctor will likely take X-rays and possibly MRI scans if they think more thorough investigation needs done (don’t worry, they won’t leave anything untouched). This will allow them better visibility regarding the extent of damage sustained by said coccyx.
Healing Time For A Broken Tailbone
Well here’s both good news -and bad news- regarding recovery period timeframes:
Good News: It generally doesn’t require surgical intervention.
Bad News: Healing time is generally not rapid, and will most likely leave you wincing in pain for a while.
The road to recovery is long and hard. Healed tails have been reported within 6 weeks of being broken or fracture – some may even take longer up to three months (but who’s counting, right?).
In severe cases, the coccyx may need to be removed surgically due to either too much damage sustained in the impact or ongoing pain caused by persistent tailbone fractures.
Surgery also offers relief for those with bone spurs growing on it (common result post-injury). But fear not – as we’ve mentioned earlier, such cases are few and far between so keep your fingers crossed that your injury doesn’t require anything more than just good ole rest & recuperation treatment!
Factors That Can Affect Healing Time
Several things can determine how quickly someone’s body mends themselves after this type of injury:
Age
It’s important to note that older people usually experience slower healing times. If you’re over 60 years old (and you fell off something whilst thinking back nostalgically about Jonny Rotten), then expect rather prolonged periods before full recovery from this kind of blow.
Accordingly- children generally heal quicker because their bones haven’t fully hardened yet which allows them rebound easily from any injuries inflicted.
Gender
Due to structural differences between men and women’s hips/butt regions, they’re affected differently when it comes down fractured tailbones.
Females tend to suffer more painful/longer healing times if suffering above said trauma during childbirth (We truly do empathize ladies!).
But worry not: considering everything going wrong during labour; a broken coccyx might hardly feature on list-of-horrible-things-experienced-by-ladies-post-delivery-even-after-being-unbearably-painful).
Severity
Broken backsides come in several shapes and sizes of hurt. A simple crack or hairline fracture may take less than a month to fully heal; however, if you experience extensive damage, fractures on multiple sections or even a dislocated coccyx – expect the waiting game for much longer periods.
Type Of Fracture
Another aspect that determines healing speed is exactly how your tailbone broke down — six-bit or bunny-shattered bones are not created equal when predicting recovery timeframes.
Treatment Options For A Broken Tailbone
So what needs done? Nothing “broken” sounds like it requires any particular effort be put into fixing it…right?
As the saying goes, “time heals all wounds.” However -you’ll have to do more than just wait around for weeks/months while in agony.
Rest
You need rest by avoiding putting excess strain/pressure whilst sitting down (sort-of giving yourself butt-air). Only sit on soft surfaces taking care not to slump (use pillows!).
Some folks exhaust every sitting alternative with little comfort-inspired success resorting instead to laying front-side-down (face-first) in their bed/chair but should only try such methods as directed by medical personnel.
Be mindful that prolonged bed-rest is actually counterproductive causing negative effects including muscle atrophy and clots requiring sufficient occasional movement about rooms within house -and also managing any associated pain (& stiffening muscles).
Pain Relief Medication
The use of over-the-counter medicines aids reduction inflamed soreness & swelling surrounding affected area encouraging smoother healing process. Some common types include Ibuprofen and Tylenol among others (consult doc for specific info)
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy has been shown effective where broken tails are concerned offering pain relief & an enhanced ability towards mobility post-recovery exercising/strengthening afflicted areas which help lessen symptoms patients’ struggle with following trauma events suffered.
Be sure always consult appropriate medical professional prior to starting any treatment regimen.
Final Thoughts
So, how long does it take to heal from a broken tailbone? The answer is…as individual as each backside is unique. Recovery can last anywhere between wine bottle-drop-impact break – which’ll have you wincing every time you sit down for around a month or two, and severe trauma fractures that may take three months or more before full recovery.
The best course of action post-trauma events? Visit health facilities soonest after pained posterior occurrences for needed medical advice/attention.
Take rest at home alongside some over-the-counter OTC medications prescribed by your doctor then patiently bid your time while waiting for things to heal good-as-new.
And there you have it folks! We hope this “cracked” tail article provided valuable info into just what goes into healing from a fractured coccyx –good luck recovering bums!