What is a Compression Fracture?

As people age, their bones become more brittle. As bones become more brittle, they begin to crack and break easier, even during normal daily activities. In some extreme cases, compression fractures have even been caused by coughing or sneezing thanks to severe osteoporosis. This means that postmenopausal women over the age of 50 are the most prone to this type of injury.

How Do Compression Fractures Happen?

Compression fractures usually start small, with miniscule cracks known as hairline fractures. These fractures can permanently damage the durability and resilience of the spine, and make it more prone to injury. Multiple hairline fractures can cause a particular vertebra to become weaker, and eventually the pressure of an activity can cause the entire bone to simply collapse under the weight. This is known as a spinal compression fracture.

Effects of Compression Fractures

Have you ever noticed that a lot of elderly people tend to have stooped posture or start shrinking? This is a direct side-effect of osteoporosis causing compression fractures in the spine.

Vertebrae are unique in that the front, where the fractures usually occur, is made of softer bone, while the rear is made of harder. When a compression fracture occurs, the vertebra becomes wedge-shaped. Wedge-shaped vertebrae are shorter than their normal counterparts, which cause people to begin shrinking. Additionally, they cause people to hunch forward, creating the posture condition known as kyphosis.

Treating Compression Fractures

At ProMED Pain Rehabilitation Institute, we take a non-invasive approach to your compression fractures, helping you both heal and restore your spinal structure and durability through braces, physical therapy, nutrition, and more. We strive to help as many people as possible avoid risky, and invasive spinal surgery that may or may not be effective at alleviating your issue. Over 86% of our patients have successfully avoided spine surgery, testifying to the effectiveness of our alternative treatments.

Find out if you are a candidate for our non-surgical spine treatments by calling to schedule an initial appointment today! Dial (630) 426-3270.