Tailbone pain may be really annoying and may have negative impact on your life and decrease your effectiveness at work. If you experience discomfort and pain at the base of your spine when you’re sitting, you should definitely get a proper office chair for coccyx pain.
Table setup not completed.Generally speaking it’s hard to find a good chair that would help all people with their tailbone pain. We all differ in height, weight, body build and the coccyx pain that I have is different from the pain you experience. There are also different causes of tailbone pain. That’s why there is no such thing like a perfect chair for coccyx pain.
However there are some chairs that are recommended for coccyx pain at least by some of their previous users.
Consider these chairs if you’re suffering from tailbone pain or if you’re recovering from tailbone injury:
Which Office Chair Choose For Tailbone Pain?
1. Herman Miller Aeron
This chair is famous for its innovative and unique design. It has an ergonomic backrest, but you can fully adjust to your back and that mimics your movements. But what’s more important for people who have a tailbone pain, Aaron has fantastic, springy seat that doesn’t put that much pressure on your buttocks (and coccyx), while still providing enough support.
Besides, the seat has a waterfall design which improves blood circulation in legs and prevents from numbness in buttocks.
2. WorkPro Quantum 9000 Series
This is another fantastic ergonomic office chair, that may be a good solution if you experience tailbone pain. It has a very similar design to Aeron – it may be actually a very good and affordable alternative for Herman Miller Aeron!
So with WorkPro Quantum 9000 we have a flexible, springy seat with waterfall edge that provides proper support for pelvis and sacrum area, without putting pressure on the base of the spine.
What’s noteworthy, this pocket-friendly chair has one additional feature that Aeron lacks – it has an adjustable seat depth! Thanks to this function you can adjust the seat to your thighs and buttocks. This has a huge impact on your tailbone condition and your sitting comfort.
3. Duramont Ergonomic Adjustable Office Chair
This chair is very popular because it’s basically the only high-quality office chair that comes with rollerblade wheels (I’ve written more about it in this review).
But for people with coccyx pain the seat is more important feature. And Duramont chair has really amazing seat. The cushion is generous and provides good support. It is covered with a breathable fabric that prevents your butt and thighs from sweating.
This computer chair has a few more useful features like lumbar support, neck support and armrests – all fully adjustable for your own comfort.
And what’s also very important – you get all of that at a very reasonable price – this office chair costs less than $300!
As I said earlier it’s hard to find a chair that would suit everybody. Although some users had positive experience with these chairs and say they helped them with tailbone pain, there is no guarantee they will help you.
If you worry that none of these chairs will suit you and you don’t want to risk your money, there is another solution.
PS. Here you can read full review of Duramont Ergonomic Office Chair.
Solution For Tailbone Pain? Try Coccyx Cushion!
This is more affordable “trick” 🙂
If you’re tired of loosing money and testing multiple office chairs or if you’re simply on a tight budget, there is a solution to relieve your tailbone pain and make your sitting more ergonomic.
Get a coccyx cushion!
It is a specially designed pad that you put on your chair’s seat. You may use it on your office chair, car seat, or even on a plane seat. Many people who suffered from tailbone pain agree that cushions with cut-out section directly underneath the tailbone help to alleviate the coccyx pain. Some people even say they work like magic and completely relieve the pain.
How does a coccyx cushion work? Briefly speaking it decreases the pressure on lower back and the base of your spine. The U-shaped rear cut-out suspends your tailbone as you sit. It prevents your lower back and coccyx from discomfort and soreness. It’s a game changer for those who spend many hours sitting at the desk.
The shape of coccyx cushion allows for even weight distribution and takes the pressure off your stressed tailbone area.
The best cushions with coccyx cut-out, that are recommended by people who had coccydynia, are:
1. ComfiLife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion – Orthopedic Gel & Memory Foam Coccyx Cushion for Tailbone Pain
This cushion is made of a high-quality memory foam that molds to your buttocks and thighs shape. This type of a foam responses to heat and weight which means it gets softer in warmer temperatures.
ComfiLife Seat Cushion has a cooling gel layer on top which increases your comfort during prolonged sitting. The rear cut-out and contour design help you to sit in more ergonomic way and they don’t cause any pressure point on your tailbone, butt or thighs.
This cushion is a good choice if you’re suffering from coccyx pain, lower back pain, sciatica or herniated discs. It helps during recovery from tailbone injuries and other spinal disorders. It’s also very comfortable for pregnant women who experience back problems.
This coccyx seat pad is not only comfortable and helpful for relieving the pain, but it has also a few convenient feature for ease of use: removable cover that you can throw in the washing machine, carry handle which is very useful when you use it on airplane, and non-slip rubberized bottom which prevents the cushion from sliding off the chair.
Hundreds of patients recommends this cushion for tailbone issues. According to many customer reviews on Amazon it helps during recovery after tailbone injuries and surgeries, it relieves pain in tailbone area, as well as helps for lumbar spine pain. It allocates pressure on coccyx area, and rectum area – which is crucial for those who have issues with hemorrhoids and prostatitis.
Of course there are a few people who say that ComfiLife Cushion haven’t helped them. But most of the customers love this coccyx cushion and rave about the comfort it provides. Read these customer reviews and see for yourself: Review #1, Review #2, Review #3, Review #4, Review #5, Review #6
2. Aylio Coccyx Orthopedic Comfort Foam Seat Cushion
This is one of the most popular seat cushions on Amazon and hundreds of customers recommend it for coccyx pain, lower back problems and recovery from spine surgeries.
Its design is similar to the previous cushion I’ve mentioned above. There is a U-shaped cut-out under the tailbone and contoured surface that cradles your buttocks. It is made of a foam which shape adjusts to user’s butt, hips and thighs. This wedge-shaped cushion provides proper weight distribution and doesn’t putt pressure on the lower part of your spine.
Similar to ComfiLife Cushion, this pillow is recommended for coccydynia, sciatica, lower back pain, and other hip and back issues. It’s also a good choice for pregnant women who have back problems, as well as women who suffer from coccyx and sacrum pain after child birth.
It can be used wherever you want – at home, in an office, in a car, bus or plane.
Just like the ComfiLife Cushion, Aylio has a machine-washable cover made of soft velour. There is also non-slip bottom covered with small rubber dots that keeps the cushion in place, so you don’t slide off the chair.
The main difference in the design between those two cushions is that Aylio model doesn’t have gel topping.
Aylio Coccyx Orthopedic Cushion supports men and women of all sizes up to 275 pounds.
What people also love about this cushion is its affordable price. It’s a low-cost solution to make a chair much more comfy and gentle for your tailbone.
Aylio Cushion is one of the best-selling pillows for coccyx, but of course there are some people who didn’t like (as it didn’t help them with coccydynia or other back issues). But majority of the customer reviews on Amazon are positive and hundreds of people describe how this cushion has helped them with back problems. Here are some of the customer reviews on Amazon that recommend Aylio cushion: Review #1, Review #2, Review #3, Review #4, Review #5, Review #6, Review #7
What’s noteworthy – when you use a coccyx pillow, you’re sitting higher therefore you need to readjust the height of your chair and the monitor, to prevent problems with knees and shoulder/neck pain.
Why you should get a coccyx cushion with rear cut-out instead of a donut pillow? Many patients say that a standard donut cushion doesn’t help with tailbone pain! This type of pillows is designed to decrease the pressure on genitals, rather than on the tailbone.
However, there are donut-shaped cushions that also have coccyx cut-out and they seem to work great for alleviating tailbone pain (they are also helpful for hemorrhoids). The best pillow in this type, that lots of patients recommend, is:
3. Bonmedico Firm Orthopedic Hemorrhoid Pillow for Hemorrhoid Treatment & Coccyx Pain Relief
This cushion has a similar design to ComfiLife pillow that I’ve recommended above, although its shape is different.
It is made of a memory foam and has a gel layer at the top that has a cooling effect. The non-slip bottom is rubberized, so it stays in place on all surfaces, whether you use it on your office chair, car seat or place seat.
The cover is removable and machine-washable. It’s made of a mesh fabric therefore it’s really breathable and doesn’t make your butt or thighs sweaty and hot.
Bonmedico cushion has a shape or a donut, but has two additional cut-outs, that suspend the coccyx and this way relief the pressure off the tailbone, as well as rectum area.
Generally speaking thanks to this innovative design and shape this pillow is recommended not only for those who suffer from coccydynia, but also those who have pelvis issues, lower back problems, hemorrhoids or sciatica.
It encourages you to in good, ergonomic position. Besides, thanks to evenly distributed weight, the base of your spine is not overloaded. This helps to relieve the tailbone pain and decreases discomfort during prolonged sitting. It also improves blood circulation when you sit for multiple hours and provides proper support for the lower spine during post-surgery treatment.
What’s noteworthy, Bonmedico cushion comes in two sizes: Standard that is recommended for people up to 198 pounds and Large that is few inches bigger and suitable up to 297 pounds. It really great that you can choose a proper size for your buttocks. Keep in mind that Large cushion is a bit higher – so for a skinny and petite person it may feel too firm and may cause problems with chair and desk height. Choose the size wisely!
I also checked it on Amazon and it turns out to be one of the highly-rated cushions for coccyx pain. Most customers who had tailbone issues, recommends this pillow as it really works as advertised. Check these reviews for example: Review #1, Review #2, Review #3, Review #4.
It is important to keep in mind that coccyx pain (called coccydynia) may be a serious condition which may require getting medical advice. Choosing a good computer chair or coccyx cushion is just the first step to reduce the pain.
You should also learn how to sit properly and work in more ergonomic way. Remember that prolonged sitting is not healthy and may increase your discomfort in tailbone area. That’s why you should stand up and walk around for a few minutes, as often as you can (at least every hour or two). It will relieve the tension in your coccyx and decrease soreness.
If your coccyx is hurting you while you’re sitting, try to lean forward a bit for a while – it may help to reduce the pressure on the base of your spine.
Avoid tight jeans and trousers that may increase tension in your tailbone area.
Warm and cold compresses may be also helpful when you have coccyx pain.
Sometimes, if the tailbone pain persists for several weeks or even months, medical treatment may be necessary (like surgery, injections, physiotherapy and painkillers). You should consult it with your GP.
What Causes Tailbone Pain?
It’s crucial to understand what may damage the coccyx and cause pain in that area. There are a few main causes of coccydynia:
Bad sitting posture
Sitting on a hard, uncomfortable and too firm surface or sitting in an awkward, incorrect position, may lead to tailbone pain. If you stay in this position for a long period (for example while sitting at the desk at work or while driving) it causes too much pressure on your tailbone and the discomfort and pain gets worse and worse.
That’s why it’s so important to learn how to keep correct, ergonomic position when you’re sitting and have proper desk chair.
Injury
Of course the coccydynia may be caused by a fall. Falling backwards is one of the most common causes of coccyx pain. Especially during contact sports your tailbone is exposed to injuries. In many cases the injured coccyx is only bruised and the pain decreases after a while (warm and cold packs may help I such case). However, if the injury is more severe it may cause dislocation or fracture of a coccyx which require medical treatment (for example surgery).
Repetitive strain injury (RSI)
Coccydynia may be also caused by frequent straining of the muscles and ligaments around coccyx, during sports like cycling and rowing. In such sports you need to lean forward all the time which forces the base of your spine to stretch. It may lead to muscles’ and ligaments’ overstretch and permanent damage – which means they won’t be able to hold the coccyx in correct position which results in pain.
Childbirth
During the third trimester of the pregnancy the coccyx becomes more flexible to allow you to give birth. In some cases muscles and ligaments near coccyx may overstretch during the childbirth which can lead to coccydynia.
What’s interesting, according to studies, women are 5 times more likely to experience tailbone pain than men! Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3963058/
Obesity and underweight
If you’re overweight your coccyx is experiencing a lot of load, when you’re sitting. And this of course may lead to coccydynia.
However, not only overweight people struggle with tailbone pain. Being underweight puts you at risk of coccydynia too. It may seem strange but the reason is actually pretty obvious. If you’re skinny you don’t have enough fat in your buttocks and your coccyx is rubbing against the tissues that surround it. And that in turn may cause discomfort and pain.
Ageing
As we get older the tissue that holds the coccyx in place wears down. Besides, coccyx bones can also become more “squeezed” together and that causes more tension in the coccyx which we experience as a pain.
Infection & Cancer
Both are rare causes, but I have to mention them to give you the full perspective on coccyx pain causes.
So the infection can occur in the base of your spine or tissues near it and lead to coccydynia. Another cause may be the bone cancer or a different cancer that spreads into the bone. These are less common causes.
Remember that coccyx pain is a serious issue and you should definitely consult your treatment with your GP!
Sources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tailbone-pain-coccydynia/
https://www.healthline.com/health/back-pain/tailbone-pain