Coccyx pain due to an abscess
A coccyx abscess is an encapsulated inflammation in the coccyx region. Due to ingrown hairs on the outer skin, fistulas and injuries of the outer skin on the lower back can occur.Bacterial pathogens can make their way into the body via these fistulas and cause inflammation. Long periods of sitting and little movement contribute to the development of this inflammation.
In the long term, an abscess that causes pain in the coccyx must be operated on. For this purpose, the entire area is cleared out, the inflammation is rinsed out and the wound is repaired. In most cases, the abscess and the pain are healed and do not reoccur.
You can find more detailed information about abscesses on our Coccyx abscesses page. Even short-term pain in the coccyx should always be presented to a physician. Furthermore, only the determination of the exact cause can help to initiate an optimal therapy.
If the pain in the coccyx persists over a longer period of time or recurs repeatedly, comprehensive diagnostics are all the more important. In addition, various factors that contribute to increasing or reducing pain play a significant role in the diagnosis of coccyx pain. Furthermore, the assessment of the pain symptoms in different postures can be used for diagnosis.
In most cases, the preparation of a simple x-ray image does not help in the diagnosis of coccyx pain, because the main number of underlying changes cannot be detected by x-rays. First, however, the patient is asked by the treating physician in the course of an anamnesis interview about the exact form of pain, duration of pain and exact localization. In addition, the physician would like to know whether there is an identifiable cause, for example, a fall or a long-term sedentary activity.
The patient is then physically examined. If coccyx pain is actually present, the pain can be triggered by pressure on the coccyx. A neurological disorder, such as a herniated disc, sciatica neuralgia or nerve irritation, may cause constant pain, but this cannot be triggered by pressure on the coccyx.
To find out the causes, an ultrasound examination (sonography) of the pelvis, a computer tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful. If a tumor disease or inflammation is suspected, the blood values should be determined chemically in the laboratory. In addition, tumorous or inflamed areas can be imaged using a strong contrast medium.
