Tail Bone pain after back Fusions

Walter · #1 (**permalink**) 07-04-2014, 05:59 PM

I have had three different surgeries 1 Disctectomy and 2 fusions one interior with cages and one exterior with rods and screws and cages. The first one Disctectomy in 2000 the second one was L5-S1 with cages and that was done interior in 2002 and that helped for about 5 years than in 2007 I started to get leg pain again with weakness. I did the shots that did not help so they did surgery with fusion at L5-L4 with rods and screws and cages done exterior and that was done in 2011 then in November of 2013 I started with this extreme pain in the Tail Bone area. I went to my doctor he has sent me to therapy and it is not helping. He has now told me that this has nothing to do with my back. I don't believe that, but what do I know, I'm not a doctor. So now I have to get a shot and if that don't work MRI and possible surgery to take the tail bone out. OK, now you know what is going on, who wants to tell me if this is directly from my back or not or why this is happening. The therapist thinks it from all the scar tissue.

Maria · #2 (**permalink**) 07-04-2014, 06:41 PM

I had it for years n years.. at least episodically when my back would go out.. then my first discectomy helped and it went away until the disc above got surgerized and then it came back with a vengeance and chronically for years.. I was told it was scar tissue along the L5S1 nerve root causing it..

Finally it went away but honestly it took something like 20 years.. I haven't had a fusion yet *just 2 failed discectomies.

Good luck as it's such a mean and nasty pain. Btw I avoided sitting for the longest time .. now I can sit longer and my tailbone doesn't hurt but my low back still does at times pretty bad. Other times not so bad..

henry4956 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-04-2014, 08:09 PM

I can talk to you about coccyx/tailbone pain. I had a bad fall on my a$$ in 2001. I began having sitting pain shortly after. Then about 6 weeks later my L4-5 disk ruptured bad. The leg pain was unreal and my tailbone pain took a back seat (so to speak). I had a lami at L4-5 - no impact on tailbone, a coule of months later my surgeon talked me into trying another lami at L5-S1 for the tailbone, = TOTAL WASTE. So since 2001 I have not really been able to sit without severe major discomfort. I gave up driving 3 years ago. I have not sat down for a meal for so long I can't remember. In 2009 I went to Dr Patrick Foye (google 'Dr Tailbone') he is supposed to be the best specializing in coccyx pain. He diagnosed me with a severe dislocation and told me his injections would not help. Now what? He recommended a surgeon and the surgeon did not want to do it. It's like a black hole (coccyx pain). Very few coccygetomies are done (lots of risks). I just decide to live with it.

I recently had ADR surgery w/Dr Zeegers - he thought there was a chance that the coccyx pain was referred from 1 of my 2 bad discs. He fixed my back pain - but the tailbone pain remains. Sometimes it even bothers me when lying in bed, but for the most part I just cannot sit at all. I only have 2 options (Stand or lie down). At least I now can stand/walk as long as I want since Zeegers fixed my lumbar.

IMO, it is not related to your lumbar - at least mine is not. for years I went from one doc to another, they all tried to associate it to my lumbar issues but could not find anything definitive. You probably have a fractured coccyx - if that's the case It should heal and Dr Foye's injections could help. If it's dislocated, join the club

henry4956 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-04-2014, 08:14 PM

BTW, I'd be very careful if you actually decide to have the tailbone removed. It's quite rare and a lot of complications would probably result in disappointment.

Maria · #5 (**permalink**) 07-04-2014, 09:46 PM

I don't know if you take anything or not for pain but I would definitely try something if you don't before having someone do more surgery. I would also see someone that specializes in this type and location of pain.

I had a PT work on me for a year that was incredible (never had anyone that gifted before or since) and he used a number of modalities to treat this difficult area.

It used to be one of the worst types of pain I had .. now it's only there if I sit way too long at one time. I no longer "have to" avoid sitting altogether. I no longer have to turn down going out to eat or hanging out and just sitting around ~ thankfully as I've got posterior tibial tendonitis in both feet so I can't stand and walk like I used to do in avoidance of sitting.

When I say I had this pain episodically I mean I had it from 1982 to 1989 (every time my back went out until my first back surgery in '89) and then chronically from 1992 to 2001 and then less and less until about 2003/04.

Now I seldom have it except as I mentioned if I sit too long and even then it's more of a warning now vs. how the pain used to be which was totally incapacitating/debilitating to the point of only being able to be on bed rest for weeks to alleviate it to the point of being able to just be upright without nagging awful coccyx pain.

Wishing you the best in terms of finding someone to work with you in terms of this type of pain and please if anyone wants to surgically help you out please consider this option very carefully before committing to more surgery.