Diagnosis
A health professional diagnoses coccydynia by taking
a thorough medical history and completing a physical
examination. Diagnostic tests, such as x-ray or MRI,
are also commonly performed in order to rule out other
potential causes of the pain.
A thorough physical examination should include:
The most striking finding on examination is usually
the local tenderness upon palpation of the coccyx. If
the coccyx is not tender to palpation, then the pain
in the region is referred from another structure, such
as a lumbosacral disc herniation or degenerative disc
disease.
Diagnostic studies that should be done include:
-
X-rays of the sacrum and coccyx should be done
to rule out the unlikely event that either an obvious
fracture or a large tumor is the cause of the discomfort.
-
An MRI scan is useful to rule out infection or
tumor as a cause of pain
Bone scans and CT scans add very little information
and are generally not done. Typically, all imaging studies
will be negative.
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