49. Tailbone pain (coccydynia) with Susannah Britnell

The Pelvic Floor Project

In this episode, I sit down with fellow physiotherapist, Susannah Britnell to discuss:

• Symptoms typically seen with clients who have tailbone pain
• What muscles and structures attach to the coccyx/tailbone
• Reasons why people have tailbone pain
• Typical course of treatment
• What pelvic health physiotherapy has to offer
• What the research says

Susannah Britnell works mostly in private practice at Urban Healing in Vancouver BC, working collaboratively with clients of all ages and genders in the areas of pregnancy and postpartum, orthopedics, pelvic health and persistent pain, including genital pain and bladder, bowel and sexual pain concerns.
Susannah worked for years at BC Women’s and the interdisciplinary team at the Centre for Pelvic Pain, gaining invaluable experience working with people with perinatal concerns and persistent pelvic pain.
Susannah has presented both internationally and locally, to professionals and patients. She is an adjunct professor in the UBC Masters of Physiotherapy program and an instructor for Rost Therapy and Pelvic Health Solutions. She has co authorized several papers with the Centre of Pelvic Pain & Endometriosis. Susannah has been a mentor for the Pain Science Mentorship program and has served on the CPA Women’s Health Division and Pain Science Division Committees.

To book with Susannah: https://www.fullcirclephysiotherapy.com

Courses mentioned:

Embodia
The ROST Therapy Approach to Understanding & Treating Pelvic Girdle Pain
Coccydynia - A Rost Therapy Approach To The Assessment And Treatment Of Tailbone Pain

Rost Therapy online courses
https://www.rosttherapy.com/online-courses-pelvic-girdle-pain-coccydynia/

External Treatment for Coccydynia:
https://biaformations.didacte.com/a/course/13593/description

Pre and Postpartum Pelvic Girdle Pain:
https://biaformations.didacte.com/a/course/13590/description

The Evidence:

Maher et al: Concurrent Validity of Noninvasive Coccygeal Motion Palpation and Transabdominal Ultrasound Imaging in the Assessment of Pelvic Floor Function in Women. 2020.

Maigne JY, Pigeau I, Roger B. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in the painful adult coccyx. Eur Spine J. 2012 Oct;21(10):2097-104. doi: 10.1007/s00586-012-2202-6. Epub 2012 Feb 22. PMID: 22354690; PMCID: PMC3463700.

Nathan ST, Fisher BE, Roberts CS. Coccydynia: a review of pathoanatomy, aetiology, treatment and outcome. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2010 Dec;92(12):1622-7. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.92B12.25486. PMID: 21119164.

Stensgaard SH, Moeller Bek K, Ismail KM. Coccygeal movement test: an objective, non-invasive test for localization of the pelvic floor muscles in healthy women. Med Princ Pract. 2014;23(4):318-22. doi: 10.1159/000362337. Epub 2014 May 15. PMID: 24852386; PMCID: PMC5586893.

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