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The spine has about 24 vertebrae (although some people may have a few more or a few less). Each vertebra [VER-tih-brah] in the spinal column has two main sections. The first part is the spinous [SPY-nuss] process, which is the knobby part that you can feel through your skin on your back. The spinous process rarely breaks.
The other part is the vertebral body, which is shaped like a circle. Each of these circle-shaped vertebral bodies stacks one on top of the other to form the spine. Together, they provide most of the structural support of the spinal column, which contains the spinal cord.
A compression fracture is when one of the small bones in the spine, called vertebrae [VER-tih-bray], collapses or becomes compressed. It is caused by some extreme force or pressure. Usually only the vertebral body part will break because it’s weaker than the spinal process part. Because of this, most compression fractures are wedge-shaped, meaning that only one part of the vertebra collapses while the other remains intact.
Most forces are not strong enough to cause a compression fracture in a normal, healthy spine, so these breaks often happen in spines that are already weak from osteoporosis, arthritis, age, or another condition.
Sometimes the force can be enough to collapse more than one vertebra, which is called multiple compression fracture. This kind of fracture can reduce the support the spine can provide, leading to spinal deformities. It can even change the shape of the spine so much that a person may notice a loss of height.
Single or multiple compression fractures of the spine can be very painful, and can sometimes lead to other problems like spinal stenosis that cause even more pain. Spinal stenosis [steh-NO-sis] is a narrowing of the spinal canal. This narrowing compresses the nerves in the spine, which can be very painful and cause other symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of a single or multiple spinal compression fracture can include:
Symptoms can vary a lot from person to person, and you might have other symptoms that aren’t listed here.
Compression fractures can also cause serious pain, most often in your back, hip, abdomen, or thigh. The specific place where you feel pain will depend on which bones are broken.
Your spine has nerves that connect to every other part of the body. When the vertebrae are damaged or the spinal column is narrowed, these nerves can be under pressure, which can cause severe pain in other parts of your body like your hands, legs, or chest.
You should make an appointment to see your doctor if you have back pain and any of the following situations are present:
Some symptoms can be a sign of a more serious injury, disease, or condition. Go to the emergency room right away if you have back pain and any of these:
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Compression fractures usually happen when the spine is already weak from age or another disease. Risk factors include:
Because compression fractures usually happen in cases where you already have weakened bones, your doctor may start by performing tests to determine if you have osteoporosis, infection, or a tumor.
Your doctor will likely take a complete medical history and perform a physical examination to help diagnose a compression fracture, and might order more tests to confirm the diagnosis. Tests can include:
If you have a compression fracture of the spine, you should work with your doctor to decide on a treatment that will work for you. Your doctor might order treatments that repair the broken vertebra, help the spine heal, or help you with the pain caused by this injury. You may also be given exercises or instructions on self-care that can help make your symptoms better.
Some self-care options include:
Self-care can help, but your doctor will probably want to see you regularly to keep track of your progress and make sure your compression fracture is healing properly.
Generally, doctors try to find treatments for compression fractures that do not require surgery. These treatments may include:
If you have a serious compression fracture that doesn’t get better with these treatments, your doctor might recommend spinal surgery or spinal fusion.
Spinal compression fractures can cause serious back pain, as well as pain in other parts of your spine and throughout your body. When the vertebrae are damaged, they can also cause other painful conditions like spinal stenosis.
Your doctor will work with you to manage your pain, and might refer you to a pain management specialist if your pain is severe. Some options for pain management include:
Because compression fractures are commonly linked to osteoporosis, one of the easiest ways to prevent a compression fracture is to prevent osteoporosis. The best time to start preventing osteoporosis is as soon as possible. Some ways you can help prevent osteoporosis are to:
If you have a weakened spine, try to avoid risk factors for injuring your spine. Your doctor may suggest avoiding certain activities that put extra stress on the spine.
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