Introduction
Coccyx pain is a common complaint during pregnancy. The causes and thus the origin of the pain are very variable. There are some pregnancy-specific triggers, but sometimes pressure, fractures or nerve entrapments are also causes of coccyx pain.
Depending on how severe the pain is, one can even speak of coccygodynia. The coccygodynia describes a strong pain in the coccyx region that radiates into the anal, lumbar and hip areas and derives its name from the affected bone structure (lat. Os coccygis = coccyx).
Causes
Coccyx pain during pregnancy is often caused by gestational pelveopathy. This is the painful change in the pelvic ring structure during pregnancy (med. gestation).
The pelvic ring widens or loosens, especially in the pelvis. By definition, the pelvic ring comprises the sacrum (lat. Os sacrum), which is followed by the coccyx in the caudal direction and the two hip bones (lat.
Ossa coxae), each of which is made up of three more bony structures, ilium (lat. Os ilium), ischium (lat. Os ischii) and pubic bone (lat.
Os pubis). The pelvic measurements play an important role in pregnancy, as they can be used to determine whether the child will fit through the pelvic opening during birth. Therefore, as the pregnancy progresses, the pelvic ring loosens to provide sufficient space for the child to pass through the birth canal.
This physiological structural change often leads to pain in the coccyx region in pregnant women. The bony dilatation is accompanied by muscular stretching, since the pelvic bones are secured by a muscular apparatus. It is precisely this stretching that can lead to the pain radiating into the back region.
Towards the end of pregnancy, increased pain may occur during birth, as the child may exert strong pressure on the coccyx during passage through the birth canal. A coccyx fracture is considered a complication during birth if the applied resistance of the bony structures is not strong enough to counteract the pressure forces of the child. The causes mentioned so far are very pregnancy-specific.
However, one should not ignore other reasons during pregnancy. Our next article could also be interesting for you: Coccyx pain when sittingThe coccyx pain can originate from different structures. If the pain results from complaints of the coccyx itself, a contusion, fracture or compression of the bone can be the trigger.
Fractures are usually only caused by strong external forces or falls, but a bruise can be contracted very quickly. A bruise or compression can occur during pregnancy simply due to the fact that the baby exerts a lot of pressure on surrounding structures in the abdomen and that the coccyx is particularly susceptible and thus often causes pain during pregnancy. In addition to the bone, coccyx pain can also originate from the nerves.
The lumbosacral nerve plexus is particularly relevant. Compression due to the space requirement during pregnancy can cause strong pain radiating into the coccyx region. A less harmless cause than nerve compression is the presence of cervical cancer (lat.
cervical carcinoma). The classic triad of cervical carcinoma is lumbosacral pain, unilateral uterine obstruction and lymphedema. By infiltration of the lumbosacral nerve plexus, which is in close topographical relation to the coccyx, through the degenerated tissue, the pain likes to radiate and affected persons suffer from lumbosacral pain or coccygeal pain. As a special form of lower abdominal pain, low back pain often occurs during pregnancy due to the loosening of the tissue. These pregnancy-related pains also radiate into the coccyx region and should therefore be considered as causes of coccyx pain.