9 exercises for tailbone pain relief

You probably don’t give your tailbone much thought. The small, triangle-shaped bone (or coccyx) at the bottom of your spine works behind the scenes, so to speak. It serves as an attachment site for surrounding muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It helps support your weight when you sit. But when your tailbone hurts, it can become, well, a pain in your rear.

Coccydynia, or tailbone pain, may feel dull and achy, or sharp and piercing. It tends to worsen when you sit or stand for long periods, or go from sitting to standing. You may also feel pain with bowel movements, or during sex. Women are five times more likely to develop coccydynia than men. 

Sometimes the cause of tailbone pain is obvious, like a fall or labor and childbirth. Other times, tailbone pain may be due to problems with your pelvic floor, posture-related strain, or other musculoskeletal (MSK) issues. 

“Pelvic floor, hip, and lower back muscles and tissue are connected to your tailbone,” explains Renee Bullis, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “Weakness, tightness, or imbalances in these muscles can put pressure on the tailbone, causing discomfort and pain.” Physical therapy and exercise can help by strengthening and stretching these muscles, which can relieve tension and ease tailbone pain symptoms.

Here, learn the best exercises for tailbone pain recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists, and the benefits of physical therapy and exercise for tailbone pain relief.

Best exercises for tailbone pain

Child’s pose improves mobility and flexibility in your spine. “It’s also a great position to practice diaphragmatic, or deep, breathing,” says Dr. Bullis. “This technique can help relax low back, glute, and pelvic floor muscles, which can ease tension in your tailbone and decrease pain.”

How to do it: 

• Get into a comfortable kneeling position with your shins and feet flat on the floor. 

• Sit your hips back toward your heels with your feet together and your knees wide apart. 

• Slide your arms out in front of you on the ground, while moving your hips toward your heels. 

• Relax your head and chest down toward the floor, as far as is comfortable for you. 

• Take slow, deep breaths as you hold this position. 

• Walk your hands back toward your knees and return to an upright position.

Cat cow gently stretches your spine through a full range of motion. It helps improve mobility and flexibility and releases tension in your spine and pelvic floor.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees. You can do this on a yoga mat or another comfortable surface. Your hands should be positioned under your shoulders and your knees in line with your hips. 

• Slowly round your entire back toward the ceiling while drawing your chin to your chest. 

• Return to the starting position. 

• Look up to the ceiling as you arch your back toward the floor. 

• Return to the starting position.

This stretch targets your thoracic spine, which is in the upper and middle part of your back. “The rotations open up your chest and shoulders to help reduce rounded shoulders,” says Dr. Bullis. “When you round your upper body, the lower back typically rounds out underneath, which can place more stress and pressure on your tailbone.”

How to do it:

• On a yoga mat on the floor, lie on your side with a pillow supporting your head. Your arms are straight out and resting on the floor in front of your chest. Your legs are stacked together with your knees bent up towards your chest.

• Reach your top arm up and behind you, as you turn toward your opposite side. Keep this arm straight while your legs and other arm remain in the starting position. Your chest will open up toward the ceiling as you rotate. 

• Continue to reach your arm and shoulder toward the floor behind you as you stretch into this position.

• Return your top arm and upper body back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

• As you do each rep, you might feel a bit of a twist or stretch in your back, shoulders, and neck.

This stretch improves lower body mobility and flexibility. It also helps relieve tension in your hips, lower back, and pelvic area to decrease back, tailbone, and pelvic pain. For a more challenging stretch that targets similar muscle groups, you can also try Pigeon Pose.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back on a yoga mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bend one leg and place your ankle on your opposite knee.

• Now grasp the back of your thigh or the front of your knee (of the leg on the floor) and gently pull your knee toward you. Your foot will lift off the floor as you hold this stretch.

• Release your foot back to the floor to return to the starting position.

• Repeat this exercise on the opposite side.

• As you do each rep, you might feel a stretch in your hip muscles and the back of your leg.

The opposite of a standard Kegel exercise (which involves squeezing pelvic floor muscles to help strengthen them), the reverse Kegel focuses on relaxing pelvic muscles to help decrease tension. “Tight pelvic floor muscles can tug on your tailbone and contribute to symptoms,” explains Dr. Bullis.

How to do it:

• On a yoga mat, lie on your stomach with your forehead resting on your arms and your legs slightly parted. 

• Inhale slowly and relax your pelvic floor muscles. You may feel your belly and chest rise up from the floor as you inhale. 

• At the top of the inhalation (without holding your breath), gently bear down to increase the relaxation in your pelvic floor. 

• Exhale to allow your pelvic floor muscles to gently contract.

This exercise involves lying on the floor and lifting your hips, which activates your glutes while stabilizing your core and back muscles. “Bridge offsets common daily postures and helps strengthen the muscles that can weaken from certain postures and daily activities,” says Dr. Bullis.

How to do it:

• Lie comfortably on your back. You might want to do this on a yoga mat or another soft surface. 

• With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, push through your feet to raise your hips off the floor.

• Squeeze your butt muscles at the top of the move. 

• Relax your hips back to the floor.

Donkey kicks primarily target your glutes, but they also engage lower back and core muscles to help stabilize your spine and help maintain healthy posture. Another benefit: Working one leg at a time can help address any side-to-side muscle imbalances, adds Dr. Bullis.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. (It may be more comfortable to do this on a yoga mat or another soft surface.)

• Keeping your knee bent, extend one leg back and toward the ceiling. The bottom of your shoe or foot should be “looking” at the ceiling. 

• Hold this position for a few seconds, focusing on squeezing your butt (glute) muscles as you do so. You may also feel your core and hip muscles working. 

• Return to your starting position. 

• Complete a few repetitions, and repeat with your other leg.

This exercise strengthens and stretches deep hip muscles, which can decrease tension in your pelvis and tailbone area and offset muscle imbalances.  

How to do it:

• On a yoga mat, lie on your side while using your arms or a pillow for head support.

• Stack your legs on top of each other with your knees bent and a pillow between them. 

• Now, lift your top foot up towards the ceiling while keeping your knees together. 

• Focus on keeping your hips stacked by keeping your top hip from moving forward or back as you hold your foot up.

• Then, lower your foot down.

Side planks help strengthen your core, lower back and hips, which can help improve balance and stability and reduce pain.

How to do it:

• Lie on your side with your legs straight and your feet stacked on top of each other. (It helps to do this on a yoga mat or another soft surface.)

• Place your forearm flat on the ground, under your shoulder. 

• Push through your feet and forearm to lift your hips up toward the ceiling. Avoid rotating your hips. 

• Hold this position for a few seconds, thinking about squeezing your core muscles as you do so. Try to gaze forward to help keep your neck in a neutral position. 

• Lower yourself back to the floor and repeat a few times before switching to the other side

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Exercise and physical therapy for tailbone pain

“Pain in the tailbone can be related to muscle imbalances or tension around your hips, pelvis, or lower back, as well as injuries to the tailbone or pelvic floor muscles,” says Dr. Bullis. And while there’s no such thing as “perfect” posture, habits like prolonged sitting or frequently staying in positions that strain your lower back can contribute to discomfort. Staying in one position for too long, especially sitting with your back rounded, can also increase pressure on the tailbone area and lead to pain.

Regular exercise and physical therapy play an important role in tailbone pain treatment. “Improving mobility and strength in your glutes, hips, back, core, and pelvic floor muscles can help reduce symptoms,” she says. Movement variety is key, adds Dr. Bullis. Incorporating different types of movement throughout the day reduces stiffness, improves flexibility, and supports overall health.

If pain is limiting your movement or ability to do daily activities, physical therapy (PT) can help.  Physical therapists can assess you, rule out any serious causes of your pain, help you modify your activities, empower you with tools and tips to help you hurt less, and personalize your exercise program.

You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health, where you may access a PT via telehealth/video visit. 

Benefits of tailbone pain exercises

Exercise helps you manage tailbone pain and maintain overall pelvic and spine health: 

• Enhance muscle strength. Strengthening your glutes, hips, back, core and pelvic floor muscles reduces strain and helps support and protect your tailbone.

• Support healthy posture. A rounded forward shoulder position can put extra pressure and stress on your tailbone. Targeted exercises can make it easier to sit and stand in ways that relieve tension in your shoulders, back, and pelvis.

• Increase mobility. Stretching exercises can help improve flexibility and relax tense muscles around your tailbone.

• Improve circulation. Tailbone exercises increase blood flow and nutrients to the area, which can help reduce inflammation and stiffness and speed healing.

PT tip: Vary your positions  

“Pay attention to the ways you hold yourself during the day and try to change positions often,” says Dr. Bullis. “Do you sit for long periods of time with the same leg crossed over the other? Do you often squeeze your glutes when you’re standing? Prolonged positions can strain your tailbone and lead to muscle imbalances, which can affect your lower back and tailbone.” 

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program. 

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.  

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you. 

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. Garg, B., & Ahuja, K. (2021). Coccydynia-A comprehensive review on etiology, radiological features and management options. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 12(1), 123–129. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2020.09.025

2. Mabrouk, A., Alloush, A., & Foye, P. (2020). Coccyx Pain. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563139/

3. Mohanty, P. P., & Pattnaik, M. (2017). Effect of stretching of piriformis and iliopsoas in coccydynia. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 21(3), 743–746. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.03.024

4. Scott, K. M., Fisher, L. W., Bernstein, I. H., & Bradley, M. H. (2016). The Treatment of Chronic Coccydynia and Postcoccygectomy Pain With Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. PM&R, 9(4), 367–376. doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2016.08.007

5. Tailbone (coccyx) pain. (2017, October 23). Nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tailbone-coccyx-pain/