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I can't take it anymore, I just want to sit normal!
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Laceylooking posted:
For as long as I can remember I've always had an issue with my tailbone, I can feel right where the saccrum meets the coccyx and it's bent under - like I broke it. I don't remember it happening, but either way I can't sit flat on my butt because it sticks straight into the surface i'm sitting on. I've had to sit on one butt cheek or the other, even doing sit-up's I have had to modify. I feel like now that I'm older and I've lost my last bits of baby fat, it's worse now than ever! I'm desperate to find a doctor to get this fixed, but I don't know which doctor to go to, if there is even a surgery to correct it, etc.

I never been overweight, I was a personal trainer for 4 years, and work out regularly. I've always been known to have a "big butt" - doesn't help cushion anything! it's too high up. Please help me! Which specialist should I see and has anyone else had this problem/has this problem? I'm not settling with a donut for the rest of my life, I can't take it anymore.
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Team00 responded:
Look into conditions called spodylolysis and spondylolisthesis. I had similar feelings like yours and finally was diagnosed with bilateral spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis. Basically spondylolysis is a defect in the pars interarticularis. These are the little bones that hold the vertebrae in place. This issue is that the defect causes these bones to not grow to the proper thickness leaving them susceptible to breakage at some point.

The breakages usually occur during adolescence when the bones are still trying to form but the adolescent has vigorous activity that breaks the bones. One usually doesn't even notice when these bones break. The pain occurs when the vertebrae slips forward later on in life. This slip is called spondylolisthesis. What causes the slip could be anything even normal body weight that puts pressure on the vertebrae over time.

This can occur in any vertebrae but is most common in the L5 right above the sacrum (which has a natural pitch forward). My MD told me that there is surgery to fix it but as of right now fusion is the only remedy. He put me on a regimen of physical therapy to strengthen the core muscles to help alleviate the pressure. He said that he could operate next year if it kept up or I could strengthen the muscles and not need surgery for another 10 years. The hope is that in ten years there will be better alternatives to fusion.

The diagnosis for this was easy. A simple x-ray clearly showed the breaks and slippage.

I hope that this helps you, if at least points you in the right direction to come to a diagnosis. See your MD and ask for an x-ray. If it is inconclusive they may ask for an MRI, but usually an x-ray is sufficient.

Good luck.


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