A health professional diagnoses coccydynia by taking a thorough medical history from the patient and completing a physical examination. Diagnostic tests, such as x-ray or MRI, are also commonly performed in order to rule out other potential causes of the pain.
A thorough physical examination should include:
The most striking finding on examination is usually the local tenderness upon palpation of the coccyx. If the coccyx is not tender to palpation, then the pain in the region is referred from another structure, such as a lumbosacral disc herniation or degenerative disc disease.
Diagnostic studies that should be done include:
Bone scans and CT scans add very little information and are generally not done. Typically, all imaging studies will be negative.
