1A tail we no longer have
The coccyx is made of three to five tiny vertebrae fused together — the remains of the tail that every human embryo briefly has in the womb.
Source: Standring S (ed.). Gray's Anatomy, 41st ed. Elsevier, 2016 — the coccyx.
Tail Bone Pain (the tail-bone injury point)
Also called: Tail bone pain point, Coccyx point, टेल बोन पेन
Tail Bone Pain is a Neurotherapy (LMNT) treatment given lying face down at the very end of the spine. It is used to remove the pain of an injured tail bone — the kind that often follows a slip on the stairs or sitting down with a thud.
Overview
What is the Tail Bone Pain point?
The tail bone, or coccyx, is the small, curved last end of the spine, just above the cleft of the buttocks. It is made of a few tiny bones joined together, and it sits below the sacrum, the flat triangular bone at the back of the pelvis.
When someone slips on the stairs or sits down hard, this small bone takes the blow. The result can be a sharp, lingering pain when sitting, or when getting up from a chair. The Tail Bone Pain treatment is given to remove the pain of exactly this kind of injury.
It is a physical point — named for the pain it answers — and belongs to the low back and sacrum group, where the cautions bite hardest because the hand is over bone that can break and nerves that matter.
Illustration coming soonThe lower spine and pelvis from the side, with the small curved tail bone at the tip of the sacrum highlighted
Where it is given
Where is Tail Bone Pain given?
PositionLying face down
Body areaThe very end of the spine, at the top of the buttock cleft
You lie face down, with pillows under the chest so the head stays straight. The treatment is given at the last end of the spine — the tail bone, at the top of the cleft of the buttocks. You are covered with a light cloth, and only the area needed is uncovered.
Illustration coming soonA grey mannequin lying face down, covered by a light cloth, with a small spot at the end of the spine highlighted
How it is given
How is Tail Bone Pain given?
It is a gentle treatment over a small, sensitive bone. The pressure is only as much as you can comfortably bear, and it is stopped if the pain sharpens. The exact method is taught hands-on in the course, under a trained teacher.
Kind of pointA physical point for an injury
Patient positionFace down, pillows under the chest
AreaThe tail bone, at the end of the spine
Feels likeGentle, never sharp
The exact technique is taught hands-on in the Neurotherapy (LMNT) course. See the course →
What it does
What does Tail Bone Pain do in the body?
The teaching gives one clear purpose: to remove the pain of an injury at the last end of the spine. Body science confirms that a fall onto the buttocks is the commonest cause of tail-bone pain, and that the muscles of the pelvic floor attach to this bone; how the treatment eases the pain is the therapy's own finding from practice.
- Removes the pain of an injured tail bone.
- Is used after a slip on the stairs or a heavy sit-down.
Organs it reaches
Its family
Which treatments share this area?
The sacrum and tail bone carry several treatments, each with its own purpose and its own bar.
- Triangle for Piles — Tightens the sphincters — for piles and bed-wetting; not where urine is little.
- (2) S4 – S5 — Opens the sphincters — to increase urine; not where urine is excessive.
- (4) Ku — Given at the last end of the spine for stiffness in the joints.
- L5–S1 Ghisai — The low-back treatment just above, for sciatica and back pain.
What it is used for
What is Tail Bone Pain used for?
It has one use: pain from an injury to the tail bone — once a fracture or a serious cause has been ruled out.
Injury
- Sprain and injuryA bruised tail bone after a slip on the stairs or a heavy sit-down.
- Low back painPain at the bottom of the back that centres on the tail bone.
Safety: when it is held back
- After a fall, severe pain, a deformed or very tender tail bone, or pain in someone with weak bones needs a doctor's check for a fracture first. Osteoporosis
- Numbness around the buttocks or between the legs, new trouble passing or holding urine or stool, or weakness in the legs is an emergency — hospital, not the mat. How to tell a patient to see a doctor
- Tail-bone pain with no injury, with fever, or that keeps getting worse needs a doctor's examination.
- The low back and sacrum carry the hardest bars of any area: no treatment of this group is given over a suspected fracture. The face-down pillow arrangement is compulsory. Children and frail patients get light treatment. Treatments for the low back (kamar): what they offer and how they are used
- Ask for a chaperone if you wish; only the area needed is uncovered. Consent, dignity and a chaperone during treatment
Common questions
I fell on the stairs and it hurts to sit. Can this help?
This is the injury the treatment was made for. If the pain is severe, the bone looks out of place, or you have weak bones, see a doctor first to rule out a fracture.
Will I have to undress?
You are covered with a light cloth, and only the small area needed is uncovered. You may ask for a chaperone.
When should I see a doctor instead?
If there is numbness between the legs, trouble with urine or stool, leg weakness, fever, or pain with no injury that keeps getting worse.
Surprising facts
2Women are more often affected
Tail-bone pain is about five times more common in women, partly because the wider female pelvis leaves the coccyx more exposed when sitting.
Source: Lirette LS, Chaiban G, Tolba R, Eissa H. Coccydynia: an overview of the anatomy, etiology, and treatment of coccyx pain. Ochsner J. 2014;14(1):84–87.
3The anchor of the pelvic floor
Several pelvic floor muscles and the great buttock muscle attach to the tail bone. That is why sitting, standing up and even passing stool can hurt after an injury.
Source: Lirette LS et al. Ochsner J. 2014;14(1):84–87.
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Organs
Body systems
Diseases
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Topics
Treatments for the low back (kamar): what they offer and how they are usedHow to tell a patient to see a doctorConsent, dignity and a chaperone during treatmentWhere pillows go during treatment, and where they never go
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This page explains what a Neurotherapy (LMNT) treatment is for; it is not a self-treatment guide and does not diagnose. Neurotherapy (LMNT) works alongside your medical care — keep taking the medicines your doctor prescribed.