Spinal Compression Fracture
Spinal Compression Fractures with Vascular Neurology of Southern California
Pain from a broken bone can be debilitating. Spinal Compression fractures affect the vertebrae, the bones of the spine, significantly impacting your movement and quality of life. While most compression fractures occur in post-menopausal women, older men can also experience them. These painful fractures are often caused by osteoporosis, a preventable condition that weakens bones, but they can also result from tumors or traumatic injury. Fortunately, there are treatments available to relieve the pain of compression fractures and, depending on the severity and other factors, Vertebroplasty or Kyphoplasty surgery to restore broken vertebrae.
Led by quintuple board-certified neurointerventionalist Dr. M. Asif Taqi, our experts at Vascular Neurology of Southern California offer several solutions to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with compression fractures. With minimal downtime and discomfort, our minimally invasive treatments and surgeries aim to reduce pain and restore your quality of life, enhancing your overall health and wellness.
If you or a loved one are interested in how compression fracture treatment can help relieve pain, please contact us online or call us at (805) 242-4884 to schedule your consultation. Our practices proudly serve patients in Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Woodland Hills, Ventura, Camarillo, Calabasas, and many other areas throughout Southern California and Las Vegas.
What Is a Compression Fracture?
A compression fracture is a break in the vertebrae that can cause them to collapse. The vertebrae are the bones in the back that form the spine. Typically, a compression fracture affects the front side of the vertebra rather than the back, resulting in a stooped-forward posture. When this occurs, the spine’s ability to support weight, facilitate movement, and protect the spinal cord from further injury is compromised. Compression fractures can also cause bone fragments to press on the spinal cord and nerves, affecting blood and oxygen flow to the spinal cord.
The most common cause of compression fractures is osteoporosis—a bone disease characterized by decreased mineral density or bone mass, making bones more prone to breaking. However, spinal injuries or tumors can also lead to these fractures.
To diagnose a compression fracture, your provider will conduct a physical exam and inquire about your health history and recent injuries. They may also order a bone density scan or imaging tests, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRI.
Spinal Compression Fracture Symptoms
Compression fractures do not always produce symptoms at the onset. However, if a fracture occurs suddenly, you may experience severe, debilitating back pain.
As compression fractures progress, you may encounter symptoms like:
- Worsening back pain that may be temporarily relieved by lying down, while standing may intensify the pain
- Limited spinal movement and difficulty bending or twisting
- Gradual height loss
- Tenderness around the affected vertebra
- A stooped posture, or kyphosis, where the front side of the vertebra loses height while the back remains intact
- Nerve damage leading to numbness or tingling, weak muscles, difficulty walking, and potential bladder or bowel control issues
You should contact your provider immediately if your back pain worsens or if you develop bladder or bowel control problems.
How Are Spinal Fractures Treated?
Treatment for compression fractures depends on their underlying cause.
- For fractures attributed to osteoporosis, the first step is treating the condition with bone-strengthening medications, calcium, and vitamin D. Your provider may also recommend physical therapy or specific exercises to strengthen muscles and bones and reduce fall risks.
- If the compression fracture is due to a tumor, you may require additional treatments, such as radiation therapy, depending on the tumor’s nature. Surgery may also be necessary to remove the tumor or affected bone. Tumors may stem from breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or hemangioma.
- Compression fractures resulting from an injury may require surgery to repair the bones or fuse multiple vertebrae together.
General treatments for compression fractures may include:
- Pain medications to alleviate discomfort
- Limited bed rest and avoiding certain activities during recovery
- Wearing a back brace as recommended by your provider
- Physical therapy to strengthen muscles and improve mobility
Depending on the severity of your compression fractures, different surgical options may be considered when other treatments fail to provide relief.
Using X-ray guidance, your surgeon injects a small amount of quick-setting bone cement into the affected vertebra. This procedure typically results in pain relief as the adhesive stabilizes the fractured vertebra and strengthens the area.
Similar to vertebroplasty, this procedure involves injecting bone cement into the affected vertebra. However, before the injection, your surgeon uses a small balloon to expand the fractured space, increasing the vertebra’s height. Once the balloons are removed, bone cement is injected into the empty space.
Candidates for Kyphoplasty or Vertebroplasty
Candidates for these procedures often have had reduced movement and function because of recent vertebral compression fractures.
When this type of fracture cannot heal naturally, with the help of a brace or other traditional treatments, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty may be performed. These procedures are typically performed on patients over 65 and whose bones have become weakened by cancer or suffer from vertebrae that collapse with painful complications due to osteoporosis.
To be a good candidate, a patient’s pain must be related to the vertebral fracture, not other problems such as disk herniation, arthritis, or a curvature of the spine due to scoliosis or stenosis (narrowing). Imaging tests—such as spinal X-rays, bone scans, and computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans—might be requested to confirm the presence of a vertebral fracture.
Learn more about Vertebroplasty or Kyphoplasty
Learn more about Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty with the expert team at VNSC- specialists in the field of neurology and neurosurgery.
Who Is Most at Risk for a Compression Fracture?
The most common cause of compression fractures is osteoporosis, which typically affects post-menopausal women. However, older men can also develop osteoporosis and experience compression fractures. The best way to reduce your risk is to prevent osteoporosis.
Another significant risk factor is having a previous compression fracture. Patients who have had one compression fracture are at a considerably higher risk of experiencing another.
Preventing Spinal Fracture
Preventing osteoporosis, or promptly seeking treatment if diagnosed, is the most effective way to reduce your risk of compression fractures. Here are essential steps you can take:
- If you are at high risk for osteoporosis, discuss a bone density scan with your provider.
- Take prescribed medications that prevent bone loss or promote bone growth.
- Ensure adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, including calcium-rich foods like milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and broccoli. Ask your provider about supplements.
- Maintain a healthy exercise routine. Weight-bearing exercises strengthen muscles and bones, while balance activities reduce fall risk. However, consult your specialist before starting any new exercise regimen if you have osteoporosis, as certain exercises may need to be modified or avoided.
- Quit smoking to help reduce your risk of osteoporosis and certain cancers that can spread to the bones.
- Limit alcohol consumption.
Your Compression Fracture Recovery
Your recovery from a compression fracture will depend on its cause. If you have undergone surgical intervention, expect a longer recovery period. With rest, wearing your back brace as directed, and appropriate pain management, most compression fractures associated with injuries heal in 8 to 12 weeks. Those due to osteoporosis may take up to a year to heal.
While healing takes time, if you follow your surgeon’s recommended protocol, you should experience significant pain improvement within days to a few weeks. Pain management typically involves medications, bed rest, back braces, and physical activity.
During your recovery, it’s crucial to keep follow-up visits with your surgeon to ensure your fractured vertebra is responding appropriately to treatment.
Complications and Risks
All medical procedures carry some level of risk. For example, there is a small chance of infection or bleeding from the site where the needle was inserted through your skin. In some cases, nerve damage can lead to weakness, numbness, or tingling, and it is possible to have an allergic reaction to materials used in the procedure.
Choosing VNSC for Your Compression Fracture Treatment
Selecting the right provider is as important as choosing the appropriate treatment. Quintuple board-certified neurointerventionalist Dr. M. Asif Taqi and his expert team continually seek innovative methods and treatments to help patients improve their overall health. By valuing the relationships formed with their patients, our providers consistently deliver the highest level of care to ensure each patient’s safety and well-being. With a team dedicated to achieving outstanding results, Dr. Taqi and his team are your top choice for compression fracture treatment.
Schedule Your Compression Fracture Consultation Today
Get relief from your pain and discomfort with the best neurosurgical specialists in Southern California and Las Vegas. Our experts will guide you through the appropriate procedures to help restore your quality of life. When you partner with Vascular Neurology of Southern California, we aim to help you feel like your best self.
To schedule your compression fracture consultation today, please contact us at (805) 242-4884 or complete our online form. We proudly serve the areas of Thousand Oaks, West Hills, Ventura, Camarillo, Calabasas, and many other locations throughout Southern California and Las Vegas.