MedClinic > Blog > Algology > Coccydynia

 

Coccydynia is a persistent pain in the coccyx, which is often called as coccygodynia, coccygeal pain, coccyx pain, or coxalgia. This disease is extremely rare.

Predisposing factors

Coccydynia occurs under the influence of the following factors:

  • inflammation of the tissues surrounding the sacrum;
  • muscle cramps in the pelvic floor;
  • inflammation of the roots of nerve endings located in the lower sections;
  • injuries
  • frequent constipation or diarrhoea;
  • childbirth;
  • descending perineum syndrome.

The risk of developing Coccydynia increases in people who lead a passive lifestyle, abuse alcohol, eat poorly, sit out in the toilet, and are subjected to frequent stresses. An incorrect lifestyle alone will not be able to provoke coccydynia, but if a person has haemorrhoids and other proctological diseases, the risk of pathology increases significantly.

Clinical manifestations

Symptoms of Coccydynia in men and women are:

  • severe pain in the coccyx, especially during sitting, defecation;
  • pain symptom extends to the rectum;
  • the nature of the pain is different – burning, dull, sharp;
  • a feeling of numbness in the lower back;
  • gait change;
  • frequent constipation;
  • discomfort during intercourse, painful erection in men.

In addition to negative physiological changes in women and men, the psycho-emotional background also changes. Symptoms of coccydynia in psychoemotional state are: due to constant pain and discomfort apathy appears, development of depressive syndrome is possible. Symptoms and treatment of coccydynia in men and women are no different.

Diagnostic

Pain can also occur in the coccyx in diseases of the pelvic organs, so before proceeding with the treatment of this pathology, it is necessary to exclude other somatic diseases that can give similar symptoms:

  • general clinical blood tests;
  • X-ray of the sacrum and tailbone;
  • Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and pelvis;
  • CT / MRI of the abdomen and pelvis;
  • consultations of a surgeon, proctologist, urologist, dermatologist, gynecologist.

Only after the exclusion of pathology in a range of treatment of these specialists, the treatment of coccydynia itself can start.

Therapeutic measures

The treatment of coccydynia is complex. To treat the symptoms of coccydynia in women and men, medications with anaesthetic effect are prescribed, physiotherapy procedures are prescribed to alleviate the pain syndrome – courses of massage, use of topical anaesthetics, manual therapy. In case of severe pain, antidepressants are prescribed.

If all of the above measures are insufficient, or even completely ineffective, the blockade can be performed at the MedClinic Medical Center (administering a local anaesthetic and glucocorticoid) of the ganglion impar, the last ganglion of the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the perception of pain from the pelvic organs, including the sacrocoxygeal area.

Benefits:

  • performed on an outpatient basis under local anaesthesia;
  • performed under the control of an electron-optical converter;
  • the duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes;
  • persistent and long-lasting effect;
  • minimal risk of complications;
  • lack of side effects;
  • immediately after the procedure, the patient can return to a normal lifestyle.

The positive effect of the blockade is an indication in the future, in the event of returning of the pain syndrome, for radiofrequency neuromodulation/ablation of the ganglion impar – a procedure by which you can once and forever forget about this problem. The essence of the method is as follows – with the help of a special radio-frequency generator, high-frequency electric signals act on the ganglion impar.

The benefits of neuromodulation/ablation are the same as those of blockade, but the effect is much more prolonged.

кокцигодиния

The radio-frequency cannula under the control of the electron-optical converter is inserted through the sacrococcygeal joint to the location of the ganglion impar.

кокцигодиния

A contrast agent is introduced through the radiofrequency cannula to confirm that the tip of the cannula is correctly located.