Dear new moms, practice these 3 ways to manage tailbone pain - Health shots

Pregnancy and childbirth alters the body and mind in several ways. Some women feel a nagging backache, while others could be dealing with postpartum depression. Pains and aches can become common. One such issue is tailbone pain!

The tailbone of the human body, commonly referred to as the coccyx, is the final segment of your spine and acts as a shock absorber. It lies at the bottom of your spinal column, above the buttocks. The tailbone is made up of three to five fused vertebrae (bones) and bears the weight of your body when you sit down.

What causes tailbone pain?

Coccyx movement is one reason why the tailbone can feel sore with prolonged sitting, or with constipation and straining in order to empty the bowels. Tailbone pain is a common issue post pregnancy, specially for women with weak pelvic floors.

Symptoms of tailbone pain

The symptoms for tailbone or coccyx pain can be extremely uncomfortable for new moms and seldom, women find it embarrassing to speak about. However, look out for these signs:

1. Pain during sitting or when getting up from sitting position
2. Pain originates in the middle just above the anus
3. Pain improves while leaning forward or to the side
4. Local tenderness over the area

Recently, Sucheta Pal, a celebrity fitness coach, and a Zumba influencer, shared 3 effective ways for new moms to manage tailbone pain instantly, via Instagram. She captioned the video, "Who feels that feeling too? That pain in the butt is a real thing and let's talk about it, especially new moms."

Check out her post here:

How to deal with tailbone pain?

According to the expert, here are 3 smart ways to manage the pain:

1. Place a cushion behind you when you sit on a chair in order to maintain a correct posture.
2. Undertake a quick belly breathe and exhale to engage your deep core muscles.
3. Put a cushion under your butt while sitting.

But if you are suffering from it for a long time and no instant measures are helping you, follow these few steps:

1. Ice the area 20 minutes by lying down. Put it away for an hour and repeat again.
2. Simple stretches can relieve tailbone pain by releasing muscle tension and spasm in cases of muscles related to the movement of the coccyx.
3. A deep squat in a wide leg position also helps. If you need to hold onto a sturdy chair or wall, make sure you do so to keep your balance, especially new moms.
4. Activate your inner deep core and sitting correctly is the key.

How to reduce risk of tailbone pain?

You can reduce your risk of tailbone pain by following these methods:

Nagging tailbone pain can really reduce the quality of your life. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

1. Avoiding falling

Keep your walking areas, the floor and pathways, free of loose objects, debris and cords. Climb up the stairs with caution and do not walk while looking at your cell phone.

2. Avoiding certain activities

Some activities, like cycling and sitting for long periods of time, can worsen the symptoms. Hence, they should be avoided.