Definition
After a birth, the extreme strain on the body can cause pain in various places. This often includes the coccyx, since many muscles of the pelvic floor are attached to it, which are put under great strain during birth. The coccyx can become bruised, dislocated or sometimes even broken. This causes severe pain after birth, which can make sitting difficult and can be very restrictive. If coccyx pain occurs after birth, an osteopath or orthopedist should be consulted.
Causes
Pain in the coccyx can already occur during birth. These are caused by the heavy strain, which can lead to bruising, dislocation or in some cases even a fracture of the coccyx. Responsible for this is the pelvic floor, which can be imagined as a kind of plate of muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lower part of the pelvis.
Most of these structures are attached to the back of the coccyx. During birth, the baby pushes itself through the mother’s pelvis, creating a strong pull on the muscles. Due to the extreme strain, this causes frequent bruising in the area of the coccyx, which can be very painful after birth.
The ligaments of the pelvic floor can also be overstretched and lead to severe pain. The pull on the coccyx can be additionally increased by the spread legs. Also the supine position as a birth position increases the strain on the coccyx.
and coccyx fracture Occasionally, malpositions that already exist before birth are added as causative factors. If these caused only slight pain or no pain at all before pregnancy, they often go unnoticed. During pregnancy, malpositions can also occur because the body’s center of gravity shifts due to the increase in the size of the abdomen. The position of the child in the pelvis can also influence the coccyx pain, since, for example, a stargazer, i.e. a child born facing the sky, places a greater strain on the pelvis.
