Patrick Foye, MD
Patrick Foye, MD, director of the Coccyx Pain Service and codirector of the Back Pain Clinic, New Jersey Medical School, Newark. www.TailboneDoctor.com
If pain is severe or does not resolve on its own within two weeks, ask your doctor for a referral to an orthopedist or a physical rehabilitation physician with expertise in treating tailbone injuries. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to immobilize the tailbone as it heals — the way you can put an arm in a sling or a leg in a cast — so if there is a fracture or dislocation, pain can easily become chronic. What helps: The doctor can inject a steroid or local anesthetic medication directly at the site to relieve inflammation and pain, making life more tolerable while the body heals itself.