After a fall on my tailbone, what should I do next?

Doctor's Answer

Photo of Dr Shee Yan Fong
Dr Shee Yan Fong

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Sorry to hear about your injury. Your tailbone is most likely to be painful when pressed on, when sitting and leaning back and when sitting to get out of bed every morning. Hopefully no issues when you are passing urine or motion; if not, please seek urgent consultation for an MRI scan.

Two things may have occurred during the fall:

  1. A buttock/tailbone contusion in which the pain usually lasts for about a month before it gradually and naturally settles down on its own without any treatment apart from reducing, cushioning or changing sitting postures. Do NOT massage or press on the tailbone to injure it further.
  2. More serious; you could have a tailbone fracture in which the pain, especially when sitting, will last for months before subsiding slowly. This will require an Xray (+/- MRI) to confirm and hence a medical consultation is usually needed.

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox