If you’ve recently suffered an injury to your coccyx or you’re considering seeking medical care for coccyx pain with an unknown cause, you may not receive the care you need to truly recover.

The shocking truth is, most doctors aren’t trained or experienced enough to effectively treat coccyx pain.

If you visit your regular doctor or general practitioner for coccyx pain, you’re likely to have one of three experiences, or perhaps a combination of any of the following treatment "approaches":

1. You’ll be prescribed drugs to alleviate the pain.

Unfortunately, drugs don’t always work to alleviate coccyx pain. In addition, many pain relievers and muscle relaxers have unwanted side effects and involve the risk of dependency.

If you’re relying on drugs to treat pain that turns out to be chronic as is often the case with coccydynia, you may build up a tolerance to the medications over time, as well.

2. You’ll be taught and encouraged to "learn to live with the pain."

This approach is obviously problematic in that it assumes your coccyx pain is incurable and will always be present. In reality, with the right treatment, most coccyx pain can be eliminated for good.

3. You’ll be encouraged to have surgery to remove your coccyx.

Surgery involves risks you may not want to take. There are plenty of instances where after coccyx removal, pain continues. Finally, the right treatment for your pain is very likely to make surgical removal unnecessary.

It is shocking to hear that your doctor may be ill equipped to help you deal with coccyx pain effectively. Yet by recognizing this fact, you can avoid wasting time and money on treatments that will not work. You can also save yourself many days, weeks and even month or years of living with pain if you seek out proper care in the first place.

So how can you ensure you receive the right treatment for coccyx pain from the start? Begin by asking your doctor if he or she has experience successfully treating coccyx pain. Discern whether what your doctor describes sounds like effective treatment or one of the above three approaches.

Keep in mind that in order to determine what’s causing your pain, testing will be needed. This includes a thorough physical exam of your coccyx as well as X-rays or possibly an MRI or CAT scan.

Decide for yourself whether or not you feel your doctor has the experience needed to evaluate your tailbone pain and diagnose the problem correctly. Determine whether or not your doctor seems compassionate about your symptoms or dismissive about the amount or severity of the pain you describe.

Is your doctor unwilling to order the tests needed for an accurate diagnosis? Is he or she familiar with alternative treatments to drugs or surgery?

If you have any doubts at all about your doctor’s experience or approach, seek out a second opinion from a tailbone specialist. Working with a specialist is the best way to ensure you receive the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan you need to fully recover.