Why does my tailbone hurt?

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Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 7:11 PM ( #1 )
When I was on the playground with my boys on Sunday, I did some of those hanging monkey bar things where it's like walking under a horizontal ladder with your hands.  I don't know what that's called, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  Anyway, whenever I do that sort of thing, or chinups with full body weight (I usually use an assist machine where my feet are on a bar), or hanging legs raises (w/o back rest, with the rest it's better), I get this shooting pain in my tailbone a day or so later that lasts for a few days and then goes away.  I don't mean to sound crude, but it is also painful to build up the pressure to let out a fart (sorry).  I'm sure it has something to do with bad form.  Anyone else experienced this and found a solution?  Thanks!
MVP

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 7:16 PM ( #2 )
Ever been to jail?

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Wetdawg

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 7:23 PM ( #3 )
Ever been to a Turkish Prison?
 
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JMBS

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 7:31 PM ( #4 )
What happens in prison?
Didn't Eddie Murphy say, "I've been in prison for 3 years.  My dick gets hard when the wind blows."?
Not enough soap being dropped in his big house I guess.

But seriously, you guys ever experience that pain right at the top of your glutes, about 3 inches above the top of the butt crack?  Maybe I'm just gettin' friggin' old.  :(
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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 7:37 PM ( #5 )
Had ANY impact in the area? You could have stretched/pulled the spine when you did the playground thing-a-ma-jigg.
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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 7:43 PM ( #6 )
But it ALWAYS happens when I attempt to do hanging leg raises from a bar, even with knees bent.  It's not as painful when I do the version where I'm in the contraption with a back rest, but I don't think you get as much ab work doing that.  I think it might have something to do with lower ab strenth.  I think my upper abs are stronger than my lower.  I'm going to bring up the issue with my Yoga/Pilates instructor.  She'll know what it is.
BJDPhoto

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Thursday, July 09, 2009 8:15 PM ( #7 )
My money's on Psoas or Transversus Abdominus.  Either could be coming into strain trying to stabilize your pelvis while in a hanging position, and I don't know, maybe one or the other is impinging on a nerve and/or referring pain elsewhere.

Last, but certainly not least, have you considered the dreaded "H -Word"?  And no, I don't mean hemmheroids.
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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Friday, July 10, 2009 5:49 AM ( #8 )
Veg,
   At long last, a serious answer!!!  :)  And from the forum comic extraordinaire, no less!  Is the condition you mention one in which the hip flexors try to compensate for week abdominals?  That's what my Pilates instructor is always warning us about.  "Make sure that lower back doesn't arch!" 

   I have this cool book, Strength Training Anatomy, which says, "when performing exercises for the abdomen, if the back is not rounded with intense contraction of the rectus abdominus and the internal and external obliques, the powerful psoas hip flexors (what you mentioned!) will increase the lumbar curve (arch the back), forcing the intervertebral discs forward.
   "This causes increased pressure at the posterior lumbar vertebral articulations, which can cause LOW BACK PAIN or, more seriously, articular compression or shearing."
     Your "H" word is for "hernia"?  Do you mean hernia through the abdominal wall or a herniated disc.  I have a hunch neither of those is the case.  It's got to be the condition you mentioned and the one I just quoted, assuming they are one and the same.

    If that is the case, does anyone know of good exercises to build up strength in the lower rectus, and the transverse.  I'm pretty sure my upper rectus and obliques are fairly strong, judged by appearence, amount of work I do on them, and ease with which I can do weighted crunches and bicycles (crisscrosses).  I've been doing hip thrusts to build the lowers.  Pilates also addresses them to a great deal.  I'd like to get to the point where I can do hanging raises and body weight chins minus the pain after.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!
Wyrms

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Friday, July 10, 2009 9:27 AM ( #9 )
Postural correction is my specialty, but with all due respect, this could be a number of things. But no doubt you'd see improvements from these:

- Stretch your hip flexors regularly. (http://www.exrx.net/Str.../KneelingHipFlexor.html)
- Stretch your piriformis. (http://www.drbackman.com/piriformis-muscle-stretch.htm)
- Ween your way into doing Deadlifts and more functional core movements if you haven't already, as in, movements which stabilize your entire core, such as prone bridges (look them on google/youtube, I cbf linking).

Also, with stretches, make sure you know where the muscles are, so you know what's supposed to feel a stretch.

And in response to your question about building strength in the lower rectus/tranverse, those functional core movements are ideal as they work the entire core.

It's suggested that the main job of the abs are to decrease the pressure put on your spine during hip flexion, unnecessary which is always there and always detrimental under high pressure on the facet joints, hence why I firmly and professionally believe that core stabilization (those static contractions like the Prone Bridge) are much more beneficial for building abs and core strength than dynamic core exercises ever could be, as they put less pressure on the facet joints, they're beneficial to everyday situations where we require core stabilization, they strengthen the whole thing (not just target one area) and they break down the muscle tissue just as efficiently if not moreso.

Hope that helps.
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JMBS

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Friday, July 10, 2009 2:12 PM ( #10 )
Wyrms,
   Thanks a ton, man!!!  What a great resource you are!  :)  We do the stretches you mentioned all the time in yoga, and at least according to my instructor, my flexibility is excellent.  My Pilates class addresses a lot of the core exercises (I have the same instructor for yoga and Pilates, and she is excellent, knowledgable, and hard!).  Many moves are slow and involve pausing, so there's significant static work there.  What you call prone bridges I know as elbow bridges.  I used to do 5 of those for 30 seconds each.  That was brutal.  But I could definately tell when I was doing them right (with lower back rounded) rather than wrong (with lower back arched).  When I would arch my back during elbow bridges, I would get the same pain feeling I'm concerned about.
   So I'll start with some prone bridges and continue the stretching.  If I understand you correctly, the prone bridges are better for development than hanging leg raises anyway.  Should I stay away from them?  Also any posture tips regarding how to control the body during a chin up to, I'm guessing, avoid arching the lower back?  Thanks!
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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Saturday, July 11, 2009 4:36 PM ( #11 )
yea i was going to say sciatica and stretch your piriformis as it can cause radiating pain above and below the actual impingement area
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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Saturday, July 11, 2009 4:47 PM ( #12 )
SK3K,
   Thanks!  I recall this also happens on days when my 3 yr old is tired of walking (if we're shopping or at the museum, zoo, and such) and I end up carrying him (35 lb I think) on my right side (I'm right handed) for an extended period of time. 
Wetdawg

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Re:Why does my tailbone hurt? - Saturday, July 11, 2009 9:23 PM ( #13 )
Next time put the lil guy up on your shoulders. He can see more and it evens the weight out on your body.
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