Patrick Foye Creates Tailbone Pain Awareness Day
The day, set for November 15, aims to raise awareness of a condition that is often misdiagnosed.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Arthritis
Patrick Foye, who directs the Coccyx Pain Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, has created Tailbone Pain Awareness Day. Foye will host a Facebook Live session on the day, November 15.
Why it matters
Tailbone pain is dramatically less common than lower back pain, and many doctors lack experience treating it, which contributes to frequent misdiagnosis. Patients also report social stigma in discussing the condition, making public awareness efforts relevant to Newark and the broader New Jersey region.
About 40% of patients at the Coccyx Pain Center travel nationally and internationally for care, reflecting how few specialized providers exist. Most U.S. radiology departments also lack experience reading sitting-versus-standing coccyx X-rays, which are used to assess abnormal tailbone movement.
The players
Patrick Foye
Patrick Foye is a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School who directs the Coccyx Pain Center and founded it more than 20 years ago.
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is a medical school in Newark, New Jersey, and the academic home of the Coccyx Pain Center.
The details
The most common cause of tailbone pain is joint hypermobility of the coccyx, which can be assessed with sitting-versus-standing X-rays that compare tailbone position in each posture. Foye founded the Coccyx Pain Center more than 20 years ago, and it is described as the nation's only academic medical center dedicated to specialized tailbone pain care.
Timeline
Tailbone Pain Awareness Day falls on November 15, 2026.
Foye's Facebook Live session begins at noon EST on Nov. 15.
Roadmap
The Coccyx Pain Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is the nation's only academic medical center dedicated to specialized tailbone pain care, which makes Foye's awareness day an extension of that single institutional effort. Public outreach of this kind may help address the rarity and stigma that have left the condition under-recognized in mainstream medicine.
Readers experiencing persistent tailbone pain may find that sitting-versus-standing X-rays and specialized evaluation can identify joint hypermobility as a cause. Because many clinicians have limited experience with this condition, patients may need to seek out a provider familiar with coccyx disorders.
The takeaway
Persistent tailbone pain can be a sign of joint hypermobility that is treatable once correctly identified. Patients who have not found relief from general back care may benefit from asking about coccyx-specific evaluation.
What happens next
Tailbone Pain Awareness Day and Foye's Facebook Live session take place on November 15, 2026, at noon EST.
Further reading
Explore more arthritis and joint pain coverage for related context on musculoskeletal conditions.
