Long term pain, also called chronic pain, can worsen if you don’t find an effective way to manage it. At Restore Health in Spokane and Richland, Washington, the pain management team can help you maintain your mobility and relieve your day-to-day discomfort with a comprehensive, personalized treatment plan. To find out more about chronic pain and chronic pain management, call Restore Health, or book an appointment online today.
Chronic Pain FAQ’s
Vertebral compression fractures occur when one or more vertebrae collapse because they’re too weak to support the typical amount of stress sustained by your spine. Vertebral compression fractures most often occur in your thoracic spine, which is the upper or mid-part of your back.
It only takes a small amount of force to cause a vertebral compression fracture. Simply twisting, bending over, or even sneezing can cause weak vertebrae to collapse.
Osteoporosis most often causes compression fractures, but a bone infection or a tumor can also weaken the vertebrae enough to lead to the same problem.
Though rare, young adults can sustain a vertebral compression fracture from a high-energy injury, such as falling from a significant height or during a car accident.
In most cases, you experience sudden pain when the vertebra collapses. However, vertebral compression fractures can develop gradually, causing back pain that’s mild at first and gets worse over time.
Any of these symptoms signal a vertebral compression fracture:
- Sudden, severe mid-back pain
- Limited spinal movement
- Pain that gets worse when walking
- Pain that feels better when lying down
- Round-back deformity
- Loss of height
Compression fractures force the front side of the vertebra to collapse, while the backside stays the same height, resulting in a wedge-shaped bone. When several adjoining vertebrae have a wedge-shape, they cause a curvature in your spine and create a noticeably rounded shape.
The team at Restore Health specializes in two minimally invasive procedures that effectively treat compression fractures:
Vertebroplasty
To perform vertebroplasty, your Restore Health provider inserts a hollow needle into the affected vertebra. During the procedure, they use fluoroscopy, which is a real-time X-ray that shows your spine and the movement of the needle.
Using this imaging technique, your provider precisely places the needle into the center of the vertebra and injects bone cement into the compression fracture. The bone cement quickly hardens, which stabilizes your spine and alleviates your pain.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is similar to the vertebroplasty procedure, with one change. After inserting the needle, your provider inflates a balloon inside the fractured vertebra.
After the balloon restores the bone’s natural height and shape, your provider removes the balloon and injects bone cement. The cement restores the bone’s natural shape, strength, and stability.
Don’t wait to get help for a vertebral compression fracture. Call the office nearest you, or book an appointment online today.