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Symptoms, treatment and consequences of fracture of the coccyx

fracture of the coccyx occurs as a result of a direct hit in the lower back and fall on his back. Anatomically coccyx consists of fused together vertebrae; their number individually, on average, from three to five. Closed fracture one or more vertebrae independently without an x-ray to distinguish from injury is impossible, so if you suspect a fracture of the coccyx is necessary to go to the emergency room. Thanks to qualified medical assistance will be able to avoid such injury, such as:

  • severe chronic back pain;
  • narrowing of the spine canal, which causes compression of the spinal cord;
  • headaches, migraine.

Symptoms of broken tailbone

If as a result of incorrect splicing causes pressure on the spinal cord, there may be any effects from the nervous system, of urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence to paralysis and paresis. Treatment of fracture of the coccyx should only deal with a professional physician to apply the methods of traditional medicine can in the recovery phase after prior consultation with a traumatologist or surgeon. To the recovery was the most successful, you need:

  • time to recognize the symptoms of fracture;
  • to provide competent first aid;
  • to immediately go to the emergency room;
  • perform all assignments given by the traumatologist;
  • to actively participate in the rehabilitation operations.

If you comply with these rules affected are able to restore your health in full. Otherwise, the possible violation of both the spine and the nervous system.

Contacting the emergency room with a broken tailbone

Symptoms of a tailbone injury

Especially a lot of people gets injured coccyx during the winter season, when children and adults skating with ice slides, using “cheesecake”, slides and other moving litter. When hitting bumps ice slides happen injuries of the spine and fractures that are most often localized in the coccyx area. The nature of skin fractures are:

  • closed, and the skin retains integrity;
  • open when a wound is formed, in which there are bone fragments.

In children with a strong impact, often formed open fractures, which are accompanied by intense bleeding. Such injuries can occur not only in winter but also in summer, when you use unsafe slides on the playgrounds. As the cause of damage is always a fall hit in the lower back. Often fractures combined with dislocation or subluxation of the vertebrae, which creates additional difficulties in their treatment. The degree of divergence of bone fragments fractures of the coccyx can be:

  • full, when the vertebra is divided into two or more bone fragment;
  • incomplete, is formed when a crack or fracture, but the overall integrity of the vertebra is preserved;
  • compression when the vertebra is crushed into many very small bone fragments without a single fault line.

Structure of the human pelvis

A Compression fracture of the coccyx is most often caused by car accidents and injuries in the workplace. During childbirth when the baby passes through the birth canal are common incomplete fractures, fractures of the coccyx. In older people, this injury is also very popular, especially when falling on his back with a kick to the buttocks on the hard surface. If an elderly person is diagnosed with osteoporosis need to take special care, use shoes with non-slip soles and to hold tight to the handrails when descending and climbing stairs. What are the symptoms and signs permit to suspect a trauma of coccyx?

These are:

  • severe pain
  • swelling around the bones of the coccyx;
  • the appearance of a bruise in the lower part of the spine.

In most cases, people experience serious difficulties with movement due to severe pain. However, in some cases because of the peculiarities of innervation of the spine the pain is slight, which prevents timely treatment in the emergency room.

Trauma is the cause of fracture of the coccyx

Open fracture of coccyx is accompanied by damage to blood vessels, which opens the bleeding.

in fracture

A Fracture may occur without displacement of bone fragments relative to each other, and then the victim would be sufficient immobilization for their splicing. If the fracture occurred at a displacement would require a repositioning, that is to return the bone fragments in anatomically correct places. The main task of first aid – not to aggravate the condition of the victim prior to his arrival in the emergency room or inpatient unit. How to provide first aid to the victim?

  • lay casualty on his side or on his stomach, without a critical need, this provision does not change;
  • call an ambulancehelp to confirm the fracture;
  • to attach to the site of injury an ice compress for 15 minutes;
  • if, prior to the arrival of ambulance crews cannot stand the pain, you should take any non-narcotic pain reliever.

If you have an open wound, it is necessary to observe sterility to ensure that the fracture is not complicated by inflammatory process. The name of the anesthetic drug and dosage should be reported to the paramedic, this information will be taken into account in future appointments, medications and diagnostic studies.

Ice to compress when trauma to the coccyx

the Main aspects of therapy

At home to diagnose an incomplete fracture is impossible because to fully clarify the clinical picture requires the use of:

  • radiography
  • computed tomography
  • magnetic resonance imaging.

In some cases, ultrasound is applied through the wall of the vagina or rectum. All further activities depend on the nature of the damage. In normal cases some analgesics to relieve pain. In order to prevent the inflammatory process is assigned to a course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If you want to restore the position of bone fragments, surgical intervention. On average, the period that the patient spends in the hospital, takes two to three weeks. The attending physician gives out a sick list, which lists all diseases by ICD 10 to ensure that the absence of the victim at the workplace has been substantiated. In order to accelerate bone regeneration is assigned a course of vitamins D, E and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. If necessary, injections of magnesium and vitamins. Physiotherapy treatments aimed at speeding up healing, pain relief and aid in restoration of all motions in full. Normally assigned:

  • magnetic therapy
  • acupuncture
  • electrophoresis
  • massage therapy
  • exercise therapy.

Call the ambulance when broken tailbone

how Much time heals a broken tailbone, depends on the individual, on the age of the victim and the harm that received a spine injury. If conservative therapy begins with an intense inflammatory process, complicated by necrosis, will require the removal of individual segments of the coccyx. The doctor will make up prognosis for recovery and will tell you how to treat the fracture. The patient should actively participate in physical therapy, a responsible attitude towards the activities and exercises. As the coccyx is located directly next to the rectum, the active muscle tension during bowel movements may cause displacement of bone fragments. During the recovery phase the patient is given recommendations on diet and caring for the spine.

Special considerations

To avoid such complications, as chronic pain after a fracture, you need to carefully follow the instructions of your physician. Orthopedic pillow, which is used in the seat should help to spread the load on the coccyx. First time sleeping on a hard surface, only on the stomach or side. All warming up procedures, hot tubs, sauna, steam bath and compress can be applied only with the approval of the doctor. The main problem in the reconstruction phase be pain. To reduce their intensity by using the pain medications, which are chosen individually in each case.

Orthopedic seat cushion

If you regularly do the exercises from complex physical therapy, the muscles recover quickly. This will help to hold bone fragments in the correct position, and once they heal, the pain when sitting will be much less. For training the muscular system should either attend physical therapy sessions or perform exercises at home. To reduce the load on the coccyx during defecation, it is necessary to adjust the diet as follows:

  • there is mostly liquid or semi-liquid food, soups, purees, cereals, meat be consumed in the form of minced or chopped into small pieces
  • to exclude cabbage, beans, white bread, pastries, sodas and other products that contribute to the formation of gas in the intestines
  • to normalize the microflora to use live yogurt, probiotics or prebiotics to the digestive process was uneventful;
  • if some foods cause constipation or diarrhea, temporarily not to eat;
  • to stabilize the chair need to drink sufficient amounts of fluid, particularly useful the use of soothing herbal tea;
  • food should not irritate the gut, so spice fans should be abstain from peppery, spicy and richly flavoured dishes;
  • it is desirable to use all the products in steamed or boiled form;
  • has a positive effect on digestion smaller meals, you need to have in between meals breaks were insignificant.

Herbal tea for normalization of stool

On the background of muscle spasms of the bowel may be very unpleasant andpainful constipation. If such situation occurs, you should take a mild laxative. Constantly take laxatives not necessary, because it destabilizes the natural bowel function. If constipation recur regularly, you need to carefully explore your body reaction to different kinds of food and change the nutrition. If this do not work, consult a dietitian.

Some important points

Carefully pushing and straining the muscles of the abdominal walls during bowel movements are not recommended because of all the stress in the coccyx area can cause the displacement of bone fragments. The formation of gases, and the explosive nature of the bowel movement slows down the healing of the coccyx, causes microtrauma and creates the danger of divergence of bone fragments. Clinical practice shows that fractures of the coccyx are often combined with dislocations and subluxations, so no need to further load the joint and ligaments. Especially careful should be to women planning a pregnancy.

In the process of childbirth in the coccyx you have a serious load, so a full and proper restoration of the structural integrity of the vertebrae is very desirable. Often during childbirth women receive injuries of cervical vertebral column. To without complications to give birth to a baby, you want to efficiently remove the injury to the coccyx. If for a long time after an injury the coccyx remain painful and discomfort while sitting, during a bowel movement and even at rest, you need to discuss this with your doctor. The most frequent complication is the incorrect splicing of the vertebrae.

In violation of anatomically correct structures of the vertebral column may be affected spinal cord. Due to pinching of nerve endings may develop any adverse symptoms from the nervous system. According to statistics, most often occur severe headaches that can deprive a person of work capacity and impede the maintenance of their traditional way of life. In order to protect yourself from the negative effects of a broken coccyx, you need to consult a really competent doctor, and then responsibly fulfill all the requirements.