Vertebral Fracture

Back pain can encompass a lot of different symptoms that are caused by a variety of health and lifestyle factors. It could be pain from a sore muscle, an ache from a soft tissue strain, or fatigue from a strenuous exercise. While a lot of back pain can be remedied without medical intervention, this is not the case when it comes to vertebral compression fractures. If you are suffering from back pain that hasn’t responded to at-home treatment options, or is continuing to get worse, it’s time to reach out to a pain management specialist. The Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas can accurately diagnose and treat your specific cause of back pain to help you get out of pain now and avoid future instances of pain. 

What are Vertebral Compression Fractures?

Compression fractures are small breaks or cracks in any of the 33 vertebrae that make up the spine. These fractures are most common in the upper back but can also be experienced in the lower back. 

While a broken or cracked vertebrae sounds like it would yield excruciating pain, that’s not necessarily the case. Some patients don’t experience any symptoms at all, while others experience pain while performing the most basic of tasks, such as sitting. If the fracture is not properly treated, it could cause a person to experience a decrease in mobility as well as chronic pain for months or years. 

What Causes Vertebral Compression Fractures? 

The main causes of vertebral compression fractures are osteoporosis and trauma. Osteoporosis is an age-related condition that leads to the thinning and weakening of the vertebrae. Patients who suffer from severe osteoporosis can suffer from compression fractures simply by sneezing, or tripping and falling. This could lead to a life of chronic pain. 

If a person has healthy bones, suffering a traumatic event can lead to compression fractures. The most common causes include a car accident or a sports regimen that includes high impact activities. 

Compression fractures are common and most commonly affect older adults. 

What are the Symptoms of Vertebral Compression Fractures?

While vertebral compression fractures can vary from person to person, and range from mild to severe, the most common symptom is that a person cannot stand or walk without experiencing feelings of pain. The most common symptoms of a fractured spine can include: 

• Back pain that is worse when standing or walking and better when lying down
• Decreased mobility or flexibility in the spine
• A “hunched over” appearance
• Loss of height due to vertebral compression
• Tingling and numbness in the back and difficulty walking due to pinched nerves or nerve damage
• Bladder or bowel control issues (in severe cases)

How are Vertebral Compression Fractures Treated?

The best way to find the treatment option that is right for you is to partner with a trained pain management specialist who can accurately diagnose and address your cause of fracture and the associated symptoms. Because some patients don’t experience pain symptoms, vertebral compression fractures might be overlooked. This is why an accurate diagnosis is key for finding pain relief. Furthermore, if the fracture was a result of osteoporosis, treatment for the fracture is only one part of the comprehensive treatment efforts for osteoporosis. 

Your provider will perform a physical exam as well as review your medical and health history. They will also look for the presence of kyphosis, which is a hunched back. They will also take X-rays and possibly a bone scan, as well as determine if there has been any loss of height due to a possible fracture. 

The most effective treatment options for vertebral compression fractures include: 

• Health changes: focusing on a diet that is rich in calcium, as well as enjoying exercises that help to strengthen the bones and supportive muscles can help to reduce or prevent symptoms
• Physical therapy: partnering with a trained therapist who can help to tailor a workout program based around your particular symptoms can help to reduce pain by building strength and promoting flexibility
• Medications: pain medications have proven helpful for relieving pain symptoms as well as reducing the frequency of flare ups. If a person is at risk for osteoporosis or has osteoporosis, there are medications that can help to treat that as well, which in turn help to lessen the chance of fractures. 
• Acupuncture: this treatment method that involves needles have proven to reduce pain as well as improving blood flow to the affected area, which helps to speed up bone repair
• Vertebroplasty: when conventional methods have failed to provide relief, the treatment of injecting cement into a cracked or broken spinal bone has proven to help relieve pain as well as restore mobility. 
• Kyphoplasty: similar to vertebroplasty, and also known as balloon kyphoplasty, this minimally-invasive surgical procedure treats pain caused by compression fractures in the spine by slowly inflating a balloon into the fractured vertebrae to make room for cement. The goal is to relieve pain, stabilize the bone, and restore some or all of the lost vertebral body height. 

Pain management specialists will exhaust all conservative treatment methods before resorting to vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. While these two treatment options are minimally invasive and effective at treating vertebral compression fractures, they have associated risks and complications. It’s important to discuss your health goals as well as medical and health history with your provider to determine which treatment option is best for your level of pain. 

If you believe you are suffering from a vertebral compression fracture and would like an accurate diagnosis, please schedule an appointment with the Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas today. Our team can help to determine the specific cause of the vertebral compression fracture, as well as the best treatment options to repair the issue and the subsequent feelings of pain. We are determined to help our family of patients enjoy a pain free life that includes normal mobility and flexibility. We are confident we can help all patients who suffer from quality of life as comfortably as possible.