Broken vs. Bruised Tailbone

Tailbone injuries can be painful, whether from a fall, accident, or even prolonged sitting. Sometimes, the pain is mild and fades over time, but in other cases, a tailbone injury can cause persistent discomfort. However, when it comes to a broken vs. bruised tailbone, how do you tell the difference? Understanding the difference can help you know what to expect in terms of pain, treatment, and recovery.

And if your injury happened due to someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to seek compensation. This guide covers everything you need to know about tailbone injuries and the steps you can take if you’re considering filing a claim.

What is the Tailbone and Why is it Vulnerable to Injury?

The tailbone, or coccyx, is a small, triangular structure at the base of your spine and is made up of three to five fused bones that are held together by joints and ligaments. Despite its small size, the tailbone aids in stability when sitting which helps to balance your weight and support nearby muscles. An injury to the tailbone is called coccydynia, and it can lead to considerable pain and discomfort, especially when sitting or during specific movements.

The tailbone is vulnerable to injury due to its location at the very end of the spine where there’s little protection from muscle or fat. Any sudden impact to the lower back or buttocks can directly affect the coccyx, making tailbone injuries fairly common. In fact, women are statistically five times more likely to experience tailbone injuries than men often due to the wider pelvic structure.

Common Causes of Tailbone Injuries

Tailbone injuries can happen in a wide variety of everyday situations and during certain physical activities. Here are some of the most common causes:

Slip and falls, where a sudden impact directly affects the lower spine.
Car accidents can push the body backward or downward and injure the coccyx.
Childbirth, especially during difficult deliveries. This can bruise or fracture the tailbone.
Long periods of sitting on hard surfaces can cause strain and pressure on the tailbone.
High-impact activities like horseback riding, snowboarding, or cycling can stress or injure the coccyx.

Whether you’ve experienced a slip, trip, or fall in a store, or you’ve been in a car accident, tailbone injuries can lead to lingering pain and discomfort that can affect your everyday life.

Types of Tailbone Injuries

Tailbone injuries can range from minor bruises to painful fractures. Knowing which injury you might have can make it easier to get the right treatment and speed up healing.

What is a Bruised Tailbone?

A bruised tailbone occurs when there’s a direct impact to the bottom of the spine, usually around the buttocks. This injury damages small blood vessels surrounding the tailbone and can cause swelling, inflammation, and localized pain.

Bruising often results from a fall backward into a seated position which can lead to discomfort that may take days or weeks to fully heal. You may notice the pain worsening in situations such as:

Sitting down, especially on hard surfaces
Staying seated for long periods
Transitioning from sitting to standing
Bending forward

What is a Broken Tailbone?

A broken or fracture tailbone is a more serious injury where one or more of the small bones in the coccyx area are cracked or broken. Unlike a bruise, a coccyx fracture tends to cause a dull, almost constant pain just above the buttocks.

Common symptoms of a broken tailbone include:

Persistent pain in the very low back that worsens with sitting or standing up
Swelling and tenderness around the coccyx
Pain that intensifies during a bowel movement or sexual intercourse
Possible irregular bowel movements due to pressure in the area
Numbness or tingling radiating down the leg

How to Tell the Difference Between a Broken and Bruised Tailbone

Figuring out the difference between a bruised and broken tailbone can be tricky since both injuries share similar symptoms like pain and tenderness. Generally, a bruised tailbone is less painful than a fracture, but that’s not always the case. For some people, a severe bruise can feel just as intense as a fracture.

There are a few signs that might hint at a fracture rather than a bruise:

Fractures tend to cause more intense, lingering pain that doesn’t subside as quickly with rest or over-the-counter pain relievers.
While both injuries can cause swelling, visibly bruising is more common with a bruise, whereas a fracture may not show as much discoloration.
Numbness or tingling in the legs, difficulty with bowel movements, or pain during certain activities can sometimes point to a fracture.

The only way to be certain, however, is through a physical exam and medical imaging such as an X-ray or CT scan. These scans show a clear picture of the bones and allow doctors to confirm whether or not there’s a tailbone fracture. If tailbone pain is intense and doesn’t improve within a few days, it’s worth consulting with a doctor to rule out a fracture.

Treatment for a Broken or Bruised Tailbone

Whether bruised or broken, tailbone injuries are often managed with similar treatments that focus on reducing pain and relieving pressure. Some treatment options might include:

Special cushions, like coccygeal cushions, are meant to reduce pressure on the tailbone
Heat and ice packs to manage pain and inflammation
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs or acetaminophen for pain relief
Standing desks to avoid sitting for long periods of time
Rest, combined with short walks to avoid stiffness
Gentle back-strengthening or pelvic floor exercises to support posture and strengthen muscles
Massage therapy, physical therapy, or injections for added pain relief if needed

What Happens if a Tailbone Injury is Not Treated?

Leaving a tailbone injury untreated can lead to chronic issues that affect your quality of life. Persistent tailbone pain may make it difficult to sit for long periods, and ignoring the injury can cause ongoing discomfort that makes even the simplest daily activities difficult.

In some cases, untreated tailbone injuries can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction which affects muscles in the lower pelvis. This can cause symptoms like urinary incontinence or difficulty with bowel movements, as well as increased sensitivity or pain in the pelvic area. Over time, untreated tailbone pain may also lead to compensation issues where other parts of the back and hips take on extra strain. This can potentially cause additional musculoskeletal issues.

When a Tailbone Injury May Require Legal Action

In some cases, a tailbone injury may not be just an unfortunate accident, but it may also be the result of someone else’s negligence. If you’ve injured your tailbone in a slip and fall accident and need a slip and fall lawyer, or if your injury was caused by unsafe conditions, you may have the right to seek compensation through a personal injury claim.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim After an Accident

In Florida, you have up to two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury claim per Florida Statute 95.11. As such, it’s imperative to act quickly if you believe you have grounds for a claim. After your accident, you’ll want to gather evidence, document your injury, and consult with a personal injury attorney to build a strong case.

How to Prove Negligence in a Tailbone Injury Claim

In order to win a tailbone injury claim, you’ll need to prove that another party’s negligence caused your injury. Proving negligence falls into four categories: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. Here’s a breakdown:

Duty of care means establishing that the defendant has a legal responsibility to act in a reasonably safe manner.
Breach of duty involves showing that the defendant failed to meet that standard by either creating unsafe conditions or acting recklessly.
Causation requires proving that this breach directly led to your injury.
Damages involve showing evidence of the losses you suffered like medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.

The amount of compensation you could receive depends on how severe your injury is and the extent of your losses. If your case is successful and you win, you could receive compensation for:

Medical bills for both immediate and ongoing care
Lost wages due to time missed from work
Compensation for pain and suffering, especially if the injury has long-term effects
Property damages, if applicable

Contact Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A.

If you’ve suffered a tailbone injury due to someone else’s negligence, the expert attorneys at Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A. are here to help. Whether you injured it in a car accident and need a car accident lawyer or you’ve injured it by falling on a slippery store floor, tailbone injuries can bring unexpected medical bills, lost income, and ongoing pain.

Our lawyers are ready to fight for your rights and will work diligently to get you the compensation you rightfully deserve. Don’t wait to get the support you need. Contact Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A. today for your free consultation and case review.

Sources:

Coccydynia: An Overview of the Anatomy, Etiology, and Treatment of Coccyx Pain | The Ochsner Journal

What Happens if a Broken Tailbone Goes Untreated? | NJ Spine & Orthopedic

95.11 Limitations other than for the recovery of real property | The Florida Legislature