Coccydynia is pain in or around the coccyx, the small bone at the base of your spine. When it becomes chronic it can make sitting, working, and daily life genuinely miserable. Focused Shockwave Therapy combined with specialist pelvic physiotherapy offers a proven, drug-free route to lasting relief.
Understanding the condition
Coccydynia is pain localised to the coccyx, the small triangular bone at the very base of the spine. The coccyx serves as an important attachment point for the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the pelvic floor, which is why pain there so often disrupts sitting, movement, bowel function, and sexual activity. When the coccyx becomes inflamed, injured, or destabilised, the surrounding soft tissue reacts and the pain can become persistent and deeply limiting.
Acute coccydynia often resolves on its own within a few weeks. But when pain persists beyond that, it is a sign that the underlying driver has not been addressed. Chronic coccydynia responds well to targeted physical treatment. Waiting it out indefinitely is not a strategy.
The most common causes are a direct fall onto the coccyx, repetitive strain from cycling or rowing, childbirth, and prolonged sitting on hard surfaces. In around one third of cases no clear cause can be identified. Regardless of the origin, the mechanisms of pain are well understood and can be addressed with the right treatment.
You do not need a GP referral to visit an ED Clinic. Our specialists can assess you directly.
Find a Clinic Near YouWhy it matters
Coccydynia is often dismissed as a minor complaint. For those living with the chronic form, the reality is very different.
Sitting at a desk for any length of time is agonising for many people with chronic coccydynia. The condition forces significant changes to how and whether people can work, and is a leading cause of sick leave in those affected.
The pain of coccydynia is not just present when sitting. Transitional movements, particularly going from sitting to standing, can provoke sharp, catching pain. Many people describe the constant anticipation of pain as exhausting in itself.
Chronic pain and depression are closely linked. Many people with long-standing coccydynia report significant deterioration in their mental health, particularly when they have been unable to get effective treatment or a clear explanation for their symptoms.
Pain during sex, avoidance of social situations that involve prolonged sitting, and the general withdrawal that comes with chronic pain can erode relationships and quality of life over time.
Because the coccyx is a key attachment point for the pelvic floor muscles, chronic coccyx pain frequently triggers pelvic floor dysfunction, leading to additional symptoms including urinary urgency and bowel discomfort.
While many cases of acute coccydynia resolve within weeks, some become entrenched chronic pain syndromes. Early, targeted treatment is the most reliable way to prevent acute pain from becoming a long-term condition.
The ED Clinics approach
Chronic coccydynia responds well to a combination of Focused Shockwave Therapy targeting the inflamed sacrococcygeal joint and surrounding tissue, alongside specialist pelvic floor physiotherapy to address the muscular dysfunction that often develops as a secondary consequence of persistent tailbone pain.
Focused Shockwave Therapy delivers high-energy acoustic waves precisely to the coccyx region, reducing inflammation, stimulating tissue repair, and promoting new blood vessel formation in chronically affected tissue. Clinical trial evidence is encouraging: a randomised controlled trial found ESWT significantly outperformed standard physical modalities for pain and disability in coccydynia, with patients in the shockwave group reporting substantially higher satisfaction. A separate randomised trial comparing ESWT directly with steroid injection found that shockwave therapy produced more durable pain relief over six months of follow-up.
Specialist Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy addresses the secondary muscular consequences of coccyx pain. The pelvic floor muscles attach to the coccyx and typically become hypertonic and dysfunctional in response to chronic pain there. Releasing this tension and restoring normal function reduces the load on the coccyx and helps prevent the cycle of pain from perpetuating itself.
Results are not guaranteed and may vary between individuals.
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Targets the source
Shockwave energy delivered precisely to the sacrococcygeal joint and surrounding inflamed tissue.
Drug-free
No anti-inflammatories, no steroids, no opioids. A physical treatment with no systemic side effects.
Releases pelvic tension
Specialist physio releases the secondary pelvic floor dysfunction that develops alongside chronic coccyx pain.
Clinically evidenced
Randomised controlled trial evidence supports shockwave therapy as more effective and more durable than standard alternatives.
Non-invasive
No needles, no injections, no surgery. Sessions take 20 to 40 minutes with no recovery period needed.
Longer-lasting results
Unlike steroid injections, shockwave therapy stimulates tissue repair rather than temporarily masking inflammation.
A real patient shares their experience of coccydynia treatment at ED Clinics.
Why shockwave and physio?
Most people with chronic coccydynia are offered painkillers, a cushion, or a steroid injection. Here is how our approach compares.
| Shockwave and Physio at ED Clinics |
Medication / Injection conventional approach |
|
|---|---|---|
| Targets the root cause | ✓ | ✗ |
| Drug-free | ✓ | ✗ |
| No systemic side effects | ✓ | ✗ |
| Addresses secondary pelvic floor dysfunction | ✓ | ✗ |
| Longer-lasting relief than steroid injection | ✓ | ✗ |
| No needles or injections | ✓ | ✗ |
| No GP referral needed | ✓ | ✗ |
| Available nationwide | ✓ | GP dependent |
*In rare, refractory cases surgical coccygectomy may be considered. Your clinician can advise on the appropriate pathway for your presentation.
A word about our clinics
Coccydynia can feel like a difficult condition to discuss, particularly when symptoms affect sexual activity or bowel function. Our clinics are physiotherapy practices with specialist expertise in pelvic health, not sexual health clinics. What appears on your bank statement, appointment communications, and clinic signage reflects the physiotherapy practice, not your specific reason for attending.
Our practitioners treat a wide range of pelvic conditions daily and approach every patient with the experience, discretion, and seriousness the condition deserves. No judgement and no unnecessary discussion beyond what is clinically relevant.
Find a Discreet Clinic Near YouOur clinics offer a full range of pelvic health services
Your visit will be billed and administered discreetly through our physiotherapy partner. Absolute privacy is standard.
Take the next step
Chronic tailbone pain is treatable. A specialist assessment is the starting point. No GP referral required. Find your nearest clinic and book today.
Nationwide discreet physiotherapy clinics • No GP referral needed
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