Tailbone or Lower Hip Pain When Seated

People complain of tailbone pain when sitting for long periods. Usually, it bothers them after a long drive in the car or sitting in a theater for long periods. Often, they have gotten a special pillow that prevents pressing on the tailbone, but it doesn’t help.

People may also complain of pain around the bone that presses into the seat. Like the first example, these people can’t stay seated for long periods. and squirm onto one side or the other.

Instead of pain, people may refer to tenderness in the darker areas of this illustration. Often, in those cases, they mention it as an aside and are not why they came for treatment.

Likewise, some people also complain of a general tenderness over the entire buttock. They may have more intense pain in the darker areas when seated, pressed, or during vigorous activity.

Slumping While Sitting

This is aggravated when sitting with your hips pulled forward in the seat. This is more common when the low back erectors are weak and sitting up straight is tiring.

Forceful Hip Exercise

The muscle is aggravated by vigorous hiking, swimming, stair climbing, or step classes.

Injurious Onset

There are other, less common ways to aggravate this trigger point. A strike to the hip, especially the tailbone, can create joint problems that perpetuate this problem. However, a fall on the lower hip that bruises the muscle and jars the hip joints can create this pattern. Occasionally, this trigger point is aggravated by vaccination or other shot to the hip.

Musculoskeletal Anatomy

About these Illustrations…

This post on anatomy contains standard information about the origin, insertion, function, and innervation of muscles. Additionally, it includes information on functional considerations and anomalies.

Find Related Posts

Anatomy posts have a grid of all related posts. This includes posts on pain patterns, self-care, therapy notes, NMT protocols, cranial techniques, and cases.

Clinically Proven
Self-Care Strategies

Self-Care Posts have common sections to make them easy to follow and understand:

• Activities to Avoid or Change
• Strategies for Quick Relief
• Stretches and Exercise for Longer-Lasting Relief
• Yoga Corner

Better Bodywork
Through Shared Expertise

Therapy Notes provide details for cranial, spinal, and local joint work. These notes also link to a traditional neuromuscular protocol.

By treating integrative components first, direct work on the muscle becomes less intense while providing longer-lasting relief.