Take good care of your tailbone. I didn’t – and my derriere has never been the same since | Adrian Chiles
Source: Guardian Health ↗
Adrian Chiles recounts a lingering injury to his coccyx that dates back to an extreme cycling challenge he undertook for Sport Relief with Alan Shearer nearly two decades ago. The mishap left him with a persistent, electric‑shock‑like pain that flares up whenever he sits incorrectly, a reminder that his tailbone has never fully recovered. Seeking expert insight, Chiles spoke with Professor Alice Roberts—a renowned anatomist, archaeologist and occasional medical doctor—who not only shared her own experience of coccyx trauma after a fall from a dancing table but also explained the functional importance of the small, fused vertebrae at the base of the spine.
Roberts clarified that the coccyx, though a vestigial remnant of a tail, serves a critical role as the anchoring point for the pelvic floor muscles. Without this attachment, the muscles that support the pelvic organs would lack a stable base, potentially leading to prolapse of the pelvic viscera. This anatomical function underscores why injuries to the coccyx can have broader implications beyond localized discomfort, affecting core stability and continence. Chiles also reflected on his broader musculoskeletal woes, noting severe shoulder pain that ties into his recent interview with Roberts about rotator‑cuff disease in humans and apes, a topic that linked his personal aches to evolutionary perspectives.
The conversation highlights a broader message about paying attention to seemingly minor bones that can have outsized health consequences. Chiles, now approaching sixty, uses the episode as a cautionary tale for middle‑aged readers, urging them to protect their tailbones to avoid chronic pain and potential pelvic floor complications. Both he and Roberts illustrate how personal injury narratives, combined with scientific explanation, can inform everyday self‑care practices and underscore the interconnectedness of anatomy, evolution, and daily wellbeing.
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The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.