Get Compression Fracture Treatment in Shrewsbury, NJ at the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine

Vertebral compression fractures are common problems for individuals with osteoporosis. These fractures are usually painful and restricting. If you suffer from a compression fracture in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, the experienced surgeons Marc Menkowitz, MD, and Steve Paragioudakis of the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine can assist. They specialize in conducting minimally invasive surgeries like kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty to alleviate your pain and enhance your motion range. Contact them today by calling their Shrewsbury, Edison, or Toms River, NJ offices or scheduling an appointment online to learn more about how you can benefit from their services.

What are compression fractures?

Compression fractures occur when bones break because they are not strong enough to withstand the weight they usually support. Rather than shattering or snapping, the bones compress and flatten. Compression fractures are most common in the vertebrae.

Sometimes, vertebral compression fractures result from traumatic injuries like car accidents or falls. Tumors in your vertebrae can also weaken your bones and make them collapse. However, the most common cause of vertebral compression fractures is osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disorder that involves the loss of bone density, making your bones brittle and weak. Individuals with advanced osteoporosis have weak bones that can fracture easily, even when they are undertaking their routine activities.

Symptoms of compression fractures

The primary symptoms of spinal compression fractures are spinal deformity and pain. When your vertebral bones fracture, you might feel neck and back pain that worsens if you sneeze or cough. When you have one fractured bone, others are likely to follow, increasing your pain.

If you have several fractures, your upper back can appear hunched. This situation is known as kyphosis, and it occurs because the vertebral compression fractures affect the front of the bones, so your vertebra becomes wedge-shaped. A succession of wedge-shaped vertebrae develops a bend at the top of your back that is called a dowager’s hump.

Compression fractures treatment

To treat the immediate disability and pain, the skilled and experienced team at the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine can implement either kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty.

Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure in which your doctor injects special bone cement into the compression fracture utilizing imaging technology to direct the needle. Before the injection of the medical cement, your surgeon will inflate a small balloon inside the affected bone to raise the bone to its normal height. The procedure can help reduce the severity of your kyphosis to stabilize the spine and reduce back pain.

Vertebroplasty

This procedure is performed in a similar manner as kyphoplasty, but it does not include the inflation of a balloon before injecting the bone cement. The cement strengthens and stabilizes the vertebra, minimizing your back pain.

Besides treating your compression fracture, it is crucial to take the necessary steps to slow down the development of osteoporosis if that is the cause of your condition. That might mean taking monoclonal antibody medications and bisphosphonates to strengthen your vertebral bones and minimize the risk of other compression fractures.

If you are experiencing back pain or getting a dowager’s hump, contact the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine today by calling their office numbers or booking an appointment online.