Compression fracture of the spine: treatment

Despite the fact that the vertebrae are a solid structure of the human body and able to withstand significant loads, it is possible that when external forces may damage the integrity of the vertebrae, in other words, a fracture. Basically fractures of the bone structure occur because of a fall from a high altitude, during a car accident or because of diving into the water. In cases where the height of the vertebral body has decreased, this is a compression fracture of the spine. The treatment of these fractures takes time, and patience will grow together until the vertebrae coalesce.

But not only a fall or an accident can be the cause of this diagnosis. At half of women who have reached the age of 80, there is a disease of osteoporosis, the cause of which is a decrease in tissue density in the bone structure. With this disease, only a small force is enough to form a compression fracture of the spine. Treatment in this case is more complex, since bone formation in osteoporosis is much slower and requires a huge number of strong medications.

Another important cause of compression fracture of the spine are malignant tumors of other organs. This case is most dangerous, since tumor metastases are able to destroy the vertebral body quite quickly, thereby enabling the minimal external force to be brought to a fracture.

When a significant external force acts, leading to a fracture, at this very moment the patient experiences a vivid pain syndrome in the back, capable of leading to shock. In many cases, the pain radiates to the legs, damaging the nerve structures, thereby causing numbness and weakness in the upper and lower extremities.

Any damage to the spine, whether it is a compression fracture or other irregularities, requires an immediate visit to the doctor or his urgent call to the house. After questioning the patient, the doctor is obliged to conduct a preliminary examination of the patient, performing palpation of the painful areas, assessing muscle strength and sensitivity in the limbs, and also checking the tension of the nerve roots. If a preliminary diagnosis was made - a compression fracture of the spine, the treatment of which requires consistency and accuracy, then the first thing that will need to be done is the radiography of the spine, which allows the bone structures of the vertebrae to be displayed by means of X-rays. There are cases of computed tomography for more thorough examination of the fracture.

Traditional treatment of bone fractures involves the use of various reklinators, special corset belts, as well as taking analgesics and observing the protective regime. Taking analgesic drugs, the patient reduces the severity of the pain syndrome, but does not contribute to the healing of the fracture. Consolidation of a fracture in normal terms requires, first of all, compliance with the protective regime, in other words, during bone adhesion it is very important to exclude any force that may cause further deformation of broken vertebrae.

In addition, it is strictly forbidden to make slopes and turns of the whole body. If there was compression of the nervous structures, the compression fracture of the spine, the treatment of which takes an extended period of time, will most likely require surgical intervention in order to prevent trauma to the roots of the nerve endings. This disease is very painful, so a smaller number of movements will allow you to quickly cope with a fracture.