Extracorporeal shock wave therapy relieved pain in patients with coccydynia: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ECSWT) has been used widely for musculoskeletal conditions; however, no reports are available about its use for coccydynia. PURPOSE Study the effect of ECSWT in relieving pain of coccydynia. STUDY DESIGN Case report. METHODS Extracorporeal shock wave therapy was used for two male patients, Patients 1 and 2, who failed to respond completely to other conservative management of coccydynia. Numerical pain scale (NPS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to assess the pain. Consent to publish the data was obtained from both the patients. RESULTS Before starting ECSWT, Patient 1 reported a pain intensity of 6/10 and 5.1/10 on NPS and VAS, respectively, whereas the intensity of pain in Patient 2 was 7/10 and 6.9/10 on NPS and VAS, respectively. Four weeks after ECSWT, Patient 1 reported complete relief of pain on NPS and VAS, whereas Patient 2 reported a pain intensity of 1/10 and 0.8/10 on NPS and VAS, respectively. The same intensity of pain was reported by both patients after 12 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Extracorporeal shock wave therapy relieved pain of coccydynia in our patients.