Your tailbone, also known as your coccyx, distributes weight evenly between your hips. Unfortunately, when it's painful following an injury or after years of incorrect posturing, the aches you experience are hard to ignore. With the advice of your chiropractor, it's possible to reduce tailbone pain and rebuild towards a comfier life. Here are some ways of doing so.

Correcting Your Posture

Your tailbone pain is likely to worsen when you place a lot of weight on it. For example, when you're sitting down you're relying on your tailbone to support the weight that rests across your hips. Try leaning forward slightly when you sit. You might find it easier to do so by placing a small cushion between your lower back and your chair. When you go to sleep, try sleeping on your side rather than your back or your front. Sleeping on your side shifts weight away from your tailbone and makes it less painful.

Addressing Your Diet

To a degree, your tailbone's comfort depends on how you use your pelvic floor and surrounding muscles. As a result, you're more likely to experience pain when you have constipation. In some circumstances, it's possible to reduce constipation by addressing your diet. Try eating fewer constipating foods such as eggs and focus on high-fibre foods. You can also try adding more liquid to your diet and reducing diuretics. You may also want to investigate whether any of your medications cause constipation and ask your doctor about alternatives.

Using Specialist Tools

Your chiropractic treatment can also include the use of specialist tools for treating tailbone pain. Your chiropractor may recommend the use of doughnut cushions for when you're sitting at home and wedges for when you're at your office. Alternatively, they may suggest using desks that you can move upwards so that you can alternate between sitting and standing while at your workstation. In some cases, sitting on an exercise ball and bouncing gently can reduce tailbone pain and rebuild muscles that support the area. 

Trying Exercises

Your chiropractor may also recommend using certain exercises to relieve your tailbone pain. The types of exercise they recommend can depend on the cause of the pain and your current physical capabilities. Alongside stretching exercises, they may also suggest that you try light walks and swimming. Both walking and swimming are excellent for building the muscles that support your tailbone. Exercising can also release endorphins, which in itself can make pain less prominent.

Reach out to a chiropractic treatment centre to learn more.