Broken bones (tail bones)

It comes as a real surprise to many people that broken tail bones are something that happens to humans. A lot of people don’t know a tail bone even exists on the human skeleton. Called a coccyx, it’s a small bone located at the bottom end of the spinal column. It is actually composed of up to 5 small bones that are connected.

Broken tail bones can be extremely painful in some cases. Though some people are tempted to laugh at the thought of breaking a tiny human tail bone, the pain experienced is not funny at all. This is especially true when you try to sit down with a broken tail bone.

There are lots of reasons why broken tail bones can be fairly common. The bone breaks as a result of trauma, just like any other bone break. Tail bones are often broken as a result of injury sustained while participating in athletic or recreational sports like football or hockey. Broken tail bones are often the result of falling too. When you fall hard on your buttocks, the result can be broken tail bones. For example, people can break a tail bone in the winter when falling on icy driveways or on slippery steps. Any kind of direct blow to the bones, or any kind of strain placed on the bones, can result in broken bones.

First aid treatment for broken tail bones concentrates on making life bearable until the bone heals. When you have a broken tail bone, sitting can be very painful. Pressure applied to the tailbone area for any reason can cause increased pain. Some people get a donut shaped pillow to sit on so there’s no pressure on the bottom of the spine. There are also specially made pillows designed for broken tail bones that serve the same purpose as a donut pillow, but offer other comfort features too.

Other first aid treatments for broken tail bones include using ice packs to reduce swelling. If the pain is too bad, the doctor can prescribe a pain killer. You should try over the counter medications first though. There’s seldom a need for surgery. The tail bone will eventually heal, but it’s like any other bone in the body. It can take months for the bone to properly heal so it takes a lot of patience.

Broken tail bones are very seldom considered serious problems, but they can be very painful. First aid for broken tail bones concentrates on finding ways to relieve the pressure on the bones so the pain is minimized. The best cure for broken tail bones is lots of time.

Treatement

An injured tailbone needs time to heal. A bruised tailbone may take several days to several weeks to completely heal. A fractured tailbone takes 4 to 6 weeks to heal. In either case, people sometimes have pain for a long time.

While your tailbone injury is healing it is very important to use a doughnut cushion when you are sitting. A doughnut cushion may be purchased at a medical supply house or you may use a child's swimming inner tube.

You should place an ice pack on your tailbone for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days or until the pain goes away. Your health care provider may prescribe an anti-inflammatory or pain medicines.

It is important to avoid constipation while your tailbone is healing. Drink plenty of fluids and increase the amount of fiber in your diet.

In some contact sports such as american football or hockey, it is important to wear protective equipment to prevent tailbone injuries

Broken Bone Recovery Periods

Body Area
Recovery Time
Arm
1d6+3 weeks

Leg
1d6+5 weeks
Back‡
3d6 weeks

Neck‡
2d4+1 weeks
Hand or Foot
1d4+3 weeks

Ribs
1d4 weeks
Head†
2d4 weeks

Shoulder
2d6+3 weeks
Hip
4d6 weeks † The character must save versus system shock or suffer brain damage; a failed check results in a loss of Wisdom or Intelligence of 1 point. ‡ The character must save versus system shock or suffer permanent paralysis.