Compression Fractures
Compression fractures of the spine and pelvis can be a major source of pain and suffering. But that’s not all. When a bone breaks in your spine, it is particularly worrisome because the vertebrae of your spine can collapse.
Each bone fracture makes the spine shorter and can make a noticeable difference in your standing height. Compression fractures may also result in acute or chronic pain, pinched nerves, and in some cases, pressure on the spinal cord can lead to paralysis if not treated in a timely manner.
Prompt evaluation and treatment by an interventional radiologist, like those at Florida Endovascular and Interventional, can help. Our providers specialize in providing a variety of image-guided minimally invasive outpatient procedures that can relieve pain and other symptoms caused by compression fractures – without having to undergo major surgery!
Causes of Compression Fractures
There are numerous conditions that may cause the bones of your spine or pelvis to fracture, including:
This condition causes gradual, progressive loss of density in your bones. As your bones become more porous, they weaken and are much more likely to break with the slightest force – sometimes even lifting a bag of groceries or slipping on a rug can result in a compression fracture.
As you age, your risk of developing osteoporosis increases. Women, people with a family history of the disease, and those with a small body frame all have an increased likelihood of developing osteoporosis.
A malignant bone tumor in the spine can cause compression fractures. This is because cancer triggers overactivity in the bone cells responsible for keeping your bones strong. This cellular dysfunction weakens bones, causing them to become more porous and likely to fracture.
A bone tumor – whether malignant or benign – that is pressing on the spinal cord can cause back pain, neck pain, incontinence, leg numbness, weakness, or even paralysis if not treated in time.
Any direct impact with force can break bones, including those of your spine and pelvis. Compression fractions may occur in car accidents, sports injuries, or as a result of similar types of traumas.
Signs & Symptoms of Compression Fractures
The pain of a compression fracture can be immediate and intense – or it may slowly build over time. Some people don’t experience pain at all.
Signs and symptoms of compression fractures include:
- Back pain that worsens when standing
- Pain or difficulty twisting your trunk or bending at the waist
- Hunched-forward posture
- Decrease in height
- Numbness or difficulty walking and moving your legs
- Incontinence
Interventional Pain Management Methods
To treat painful compression fractures, the interventional radiologists at Florida Endovascular and Interventional offer two minimally invasive procedures that can relieve your pain, restore bone strength and stability in your spine, and help you avoid back surgery: vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.
For both procedures, an interventional radiologist uses imaging guidance to direct a needle-like instrument to the target area of the spine.
- In a vertebroplasty, bone cement is injected to fuse bone fragments together and strengthen the vertebra.
- With a kyphoplasty, a balloon is inserted within the fracture and inflated to create a space for the bone cement. This not only fuses and strengthens the compression fracture, it also restores vertebral height.
Most importantly, pain relief occurs immediately with each of these procedures.
Compression Fracture Back Pain Treatment in Interventional Radiologists Miami Lakes, Plantation & Aventura, FL
If you’ve suffered a compression fracture and are experiencing back pain or other symptoms, relief is available!
Contact the interventional radiologists at Florida Endovascular and Interventional by calling (786) 534-2555 – or request your appointment now. Pain relief is as close as one of our three convenient South Florida locations in Miami Lakes, Plantation, and Aventura.
