See your GP if you think you may have coccydynia. In most cases, they can diagnose coccydynia based on your symptoms and a physical examination of your lower back and spine.
In some cases your GP may refer you for X-rays.
You may have two X-rays – one sitting and one standing. Comparing the two images will help determine whether your coccyx is moving more than normal when you sit or stand.
X-rays can also be used to check if any of the bones that make up the coccyx have been fractured.
If you have any additional symptoms not usually associated with coccydynia, such as a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above, or unexplained weight loss, your GP may recommend that you have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
An MRI scan creates an image of the inside of your body using strong magnetic and radio waves. It is a useful method of checking that other conditions, such as bone cancer or a bone infection, are not causing your symptoms.
- MRI
- MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It is the use of magnets and radio waves to take detailed pictures of the inside of the body.
- Spine
- The spine supports the skeleton, and surrounds and protects the delicate spinal cord and nerves. It is made up of 33 bones called the vertebrae.
- X-ray
- An X-ray is a painless way of producing pictures of inside the body using radiation.
