Effect of fluoroscopically guided corticosteroid injection versus oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treatment of coccydynia: A randomized, controlled, single-blind study

Coccydynia is a major cause of coccyx pain that can result in
chronic pain as well as reduced functional performance in
patients. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of
fluoroscopically guided corticosteroid injection with an oral
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to relieve coccyx
pain.
Methods:
In a clinical trial study, 28 patients with coccydynia who were
randomly divided into two groups and matched based on sex,
age, and body mass index. One group was treated with
celecoxib 200 mg (every 12 hr) for 1mo along with regular
use of a tailbone pillow while sitting on hard surfaces. The
second group received local periarticular injection of methyl-
prednisolone acetate 40mg along with lidocaine 1%, which
was fluoroscopically guided. The patients were followed for
4mo.
Results:
There was a significant difference in pain severity of the
patients when compared with their condition at the beginning
of the study in each group (P < 0.001). The final pain severity of
NSAID group and steroid group was 37.9± 14.2mm and
38.7± 16.1mm, respectively, which was not significantly
different. Also the trend of pain severity was similar between
the two groups.
Conclusions:
Corticosteroid injection for coccydynia treatment at least has the
same advantages of oral NSAID medication. Regarding its single-dose
administration and reasonable price, it can be considered as an