Tailbone Stretches to Ease Coccyx Discomfort

Hi, I’m Kat – physiotherapist and co-founder of Lake Therapy. Your tailbone (or coccyx) may be small, but when it’s sore, it can make sitting, standing, or even lying down uncomfortable. It’s one of those pain spots that’s easy to ignore until it becomes a daily struggle. The good news? With a few targeted tailbone stretches and the right physiotherapy support, relief is possible—often without medication or invasive treatments.

What Causes Tailbone Pain and How Tailbone Stretches Help

Tailbone pain—known medically as coccydynia—can be triggered by a variety of issues. Common causes include:

• A fall or direct blow to your tailbone

• Prolonged sitting (especially on hard surfaces)

• Childbirth

• Repetitive strain from cycling or rowing

• Poor posture

• Idiopathic causes (pain without a known injury)

Interestingly, women are more likely to experience coccyx pain due to the shape of the pelvis and the impact of childbirth.

Types of Tailbone Pain: When Tailbone Stretches Make a Difference

Understanding the cause can help guide your recovery.

Coccydynia typically comes from a specific injury—like a fall. This results in inflammation, swelling, and pain at the tip of the spine.

Idiopathic coccyx pain has no clear trauma history. It often stems from tight muscles, poor posture, or alignment issues around the pelvis.

In both cases, tailbone stretches can help by reducing pressure, improving mobility, and supporting the surrounding muscles.

How Physiotherapy and Tailbone Stretches Help

At Lake Therapy, we take a full-body approach to tailbone pain. That means we don’t just look at the coccyx itself—we assess posture, pelvic mechanics, and muscle balance to find what’s contributing to your discomfort.

Your tailored plan might include:

• Gentle hands-on therapy

• Posture awareness and positioning techniques

• Movement education

• And of course—tailbone stretches designed for safe, effective relief

Here are a few stretches I regularly recommend to my clients for home practice:

Gentle Tailbone Stretches You Can Do at Home

1. Happy Baby Stretch
This stretch targets your hips, spine, and pelvic floor—all of which affect the coccyx.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back

• Bring your knees toward your chest

• Hold the inner arches of your feet or ankles

• Open your knees wider than your torso and gently rock side to side

• Hold 30–60 seconds, breathing deeply

2. Child’s Pose (Prayer Stretch)
A restorative position to stretch the lower back and relieve coccyx tension.

How to do it:

• Begin on hands and knees

• Sit your hips back toward your heels

• Rest your forehead on the ground and extend your arms forward

• Hold 30–60 seconds and focus on steady breathing

3. Figure Four Stretch
Great for loosening tight glutes, which can pull on the coccyx and cause pain.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and cross your right ankle over your left thigh

• Gently pull your left leg toward your chest

• Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides

• Repeat 2–3 times per leg

Doing these tailbone stretches consistently can improve flexibility, ease tension, and make sitting or standing more comfortable.

More Ways to Manage Tailbone Pain

Stretches are incredibly helpful, but it’s often the combination of small daily changes that leads to real progress. Here are some practical tips to support your recovery:

• Use a donut-shaped cushion to reduce sitting pressure

• Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day

• Apply ice or heat to reduce inflammation or relax tight muscles

• Practice good posture (keep hips level and spine upright)

Pain around the coccyx often improves with time—but if it lingers, it’s time to get expert support.

The Lake Therapy Advantage: Tailbone Relief That Lasts

While tailbone stretches can provide short-term relief, lasting change requires a deeper look at what’s causing the discomfort in the first place. That’s where we come in.

At Lake Therapy, we combine:

• Gentle hands-on techniques

• Pelvic alignment work

• Core and glute strengthening

• Postural retraining

• Functional movement therapy

We focus on what’s really behind the pain—so you don’t have to rely on temporary fixes or keep repeating the same stretches without improvement.

Let’s Get You Moving Comfortably Again

If tailbone discomfort has been holding you back, let’s change that. Whether you’ve had pain for days or years, the right guidance and a few key tailbone stretches can make all the difference.

Book your Initial Consultation
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Warmly,
Kat