Unlike other broken bones in the body, a compression fracture occurs in your spine and causes a vertebra to collapse. Dr. Vladimir Fiks uses an integrative approach to treating pain conditions like compression fractures at Advanced Pain Management Center in Portland, Oregon.
Whenever possible, Dr. Fiks turns to noninvasive treatments, including rest, supportive devices like back braces, and treating underlying osteoporosis. He also offers in-house physical therapy, a care approach with proven benefits for compression fractures.
On top of noninvasive treatments, Dr. Fiks also provides the latest minimally invasive solutions, including kyphoplasty. Here’s how compression fractures occur and why kyphoplasty could be your best treatment option.
In many cases, compression fractures occur because bones weaken, a condition known as osteoporosis. However, they can also be due to injuries and tumors.
In addition to multiple causes, these fractures can have unique symptoms. In some cases, they trigger sudden, intense back pain. However, other times, pain gradually worsens, especially while standing.
Additional signs of a compression fracture include:
When you think of a fracture, you probably associate them with treatments like casts and splints. However, these approaches don’t really work when they involve the vertebrae — that’s where kyphoplasty comes in.
Kyphoplasty treats these unique fractures by restoring lost height in the spine and strengthening the area with bone cement. This process reduces pressure on nerves in the area and prevents the bones from collapsing further.
Best of all, kyphoplasty isn’t a major surgery. Instead, Dr. Fiks inserts a hollow needle into the affected bone with X-ray guidance.
Once precisely placed, Dr. Fiks passes a device similar to a balloon through the hollow needle into the damaged vertebra. Dr. Fiks then gently inflates the balloon, creating space and restoring height in the vertebra. To retain the new space, Dr. Fiks injects bone cement.
The process usually takes approximately one hour, but it can take longer depending on the number of vertebrae requiring treatment.
After having kyphoplasty, you go home to recover the same day. You can usually return to normal activities quickly, but you should avoid certain movements, like heavy lifting, while you heal.
Kyphoplasty offers numerous benefits, from pain relief to improved posture and function.
It also provides excellent results, with approximately 92% of patients reporting pain relief afterward. People often experience pain relief and improved mobility within 48 hours of treatment.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean kyphoplasty is your best option.
Dr. Fiks determines treatment strategies on a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, kyphoplasty is most effective when you have it within 1-2 months of sustaining the fracture.
Additional considerations include:
Dr. Fiks can also make personalized recommendations for treating a compression fracture if kyphoplasty isn’t an ideal option. For instance, removing bone or repairing bone and fusing vertebrae together.
If you have a compression fracture, Dr. Fiks can guide you through the best options to ease your symptoms and restore your mobility, but it all starts with a comprehensive exam.
Do you have back pain? Contact Advanced Pain Management Center by phone or online to find the solutions you need in Portland, Oregon, today.
