Treating Coccyx Pain with Shockwave Therapy: A Study Summary
Title of Study: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the treatment of coccydynia: a series of 23 cases
Authors: Yousef Marwan, Bashar Dahrab, Ali Esmaeel, Samir Abdulrazik Ibrahim, Jassim Al-Failakawi
Coccydynia, or tailbone pain, often leads to substantial functional disability. To explore a promising treatment, a study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for those suffering from this condition.
Involving 23 participants with an average age of 38.3 years, this prospective case series study spanned from January to December 2015. The majority of the participants were women, with a significant number reporting pain for at least six weeks and attributing their discomfort to trauma in the sacrococcygeal region. The treatment consisted of three sessions of focused shock wave therapy, targeting the most tender point on the coccyx, with one session held each week over three consecutive weeks. The impact of this therapy was measured using the numerical pain scale and the Oswestry disability index to gauge both pain intensity and the level of disability.
The results were promising. 17 of the participants experienced a noteworthy decrease in pain, with the median pain scale dropping significantly from 7.0 to 2.0. Similarly, the Oswestry disability index, which assesses the degree of disability, improved markedly from 24.0 to 8.0, indicating a substantial reduction in disability levels. Before the treatment, most patients reported moderate to severe disability. However, by the end of the study, severe disability was eliminated, and almost all patients moved out of the moderate disability category.
In conclusion, extracorporeal shock wave therapy demonstrated beneficial effects for individuals with coccydynia, offering a significant reduction in both pain and disability. This treatment could be a viable option for patients seeking relief from the debilitating effects of coccydynia, showing that a non-invasive method can lead to substantial improvements in their condition and overall quality of life.