Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees.You may also put a ½ to 1-inch piece of plywood between the mattress and box spring. Waterbeds do not provide good back support. The following list of medications are in some way related to or used in the treatment of this condition. Surgery may make your spine more stable, and help decrease pressure on your spinal nerves caused by the fracture. Surgery may be needed if your pain, weakness, or numbness does not go away with other treatment.An occupational therapist teaches you skills to help with your daily activities. A physical therapist teaches you exercises to help improve movement and strength, and to decrease pain. Physical or occupational therapy may be recommended.They can decrease the pain of a VCF caused by osteoporosis, and decrease your risk for another fracture. Bisphosphonates and calcitonin are medicines to help your bones get stronger. This helps prevent a fall that could cause more injury. A cane or walker can help you keep your balance when you walk.A brace may decrease your pain, and help your vertebrae heal. A back brace may be needed for 8 to 12 weeks.Bed rest may be needed for a mild fracture.You may need any of the following, depending on how severe the fracture is: A bone scan may show broken bones or other problems in the spine, such as an infection. Tell the provider if you have any metal in or on your body. Do not enter the MRI room with anything metal. Tell the healthcare provider if you have ever had an allergic reaction to contrast liquid. You may be given contrast liquid before the pictures are taken to help a fracture show up better in pictures. X-rays, a CT scan, or MRI of your spine may be taken.Your healthcare provider will do a physical exam, and check your spine. Your healthcare provider will ask you about injuries and diseases you have had in the past. Problems urinating or having bowel movements.Back pain that gets worse when you stand or walk.You may have any of the following with a more severe fracture: You may not have any signs and symptoms with a mild VCF. What are the signs and symptoms of a VCF? VCFs most often occur in the thoracic (middle) and lumbar (lower) areas of your spine. Compression fractures happen when there is too much pressure on the vertebra. What is a vertebral compression fracture?Ī vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is a collapse or breakdown in a bone in your spine. But his medical team has likely performed a series of scans and assessments to ascertain the full extent of any damage, and to decide on the most appropriate course of treatment.Medically reviewed by. We’re not familiar with the details of Andrews’ case. This process often involves rehabilitation with physiotherapists and other health-care providers. If there’s no associated spinal cord injury or damage to the nerves in the area, a full recovery is likely, but this can take weeks or months. Patients with associated rib fractures may sometimes even have pain with breathing (particularly when taking big breaths). In general, a patient with a fractured T7 would experience pain when moving, and have difficulty standing for long periods. Victorian emergency departments during COVID-19: overall presentations down but assault, DIY injuries up In this group, males are significantly more likely to be injured. This is often a car accident, or a high-energy fall such as falling down the stairs. In younger patients, spinal fractures are much more likely to be the result of an accident. Vertebral fractures and the road to recoveryįractures (breaks) of the bones in our spine become more likely as we age, and are more common in women over 60, whose bones may be weaker as a result of osteoporosis. As this bone also has a pair of ribs attached, it is not a surprise his reported injuries also include broken ribs. The fracture seen in Andrews’ case appears to involve the seventh thoracic vertebra (T7), which is roughly halfway down the back. These attachments mean this region of the spine is much stiffer and less flexible than the other areas. The area Andrews has injured, the thoracic spine, forms a semi-rigid cage due to its attachment to the ribs. There are seven cervical vertebrae (C1-C7), 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12), and five lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5). Your vertebral column (or spine) is composed of five main areas: the cervical spine (neck), the thoracic spine (where your ribs attach), the lumbar spine, and finally the sacrum and coccyx. Many of these are related to the bones that make up the spine.Įach of the individual bones in this region are called “vertebra”. ShutterstockĪbout four million Australians, or one in six, suffer from back problems. The spine is often describe as consisting of five main areas.
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