“Oh, my aching back.” If you’ve uttered these words, you might have experienced a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, or another painful spinal problem. But one thing is sure: Back pain is no joke — and when it becomes chronic, it can truly cramp your style.
Spinal fractures are particularly painful because there’s usually abrupt trauma involved, like an auto accident, fall, or even a mishap while playing your favorite sport.
Some chronic conditions like osteoporosis or kidney disease may also contribute to spinal fractures.
If you’re one of the 150,000 who fractures their spines because of an accident each year or part of the group of over 1.5 million who suffer a compression fracture related to osteoporosis (the most common cause of compression fractures), you want relief ASAP.
Fortunately, Dr. Benjamin Cohen assesses and treats spinal fractures, no matter their origins, with unmatched expertise and rare compassion.
Dr. Cohen is also committed to partnering with you during the all-important recovery phase. No matter what treatment plan he creates for you, he explains the recovery process, including a healing timeline, safe versus risky movements, and more.
This statement has a double meaning — a spinal fracture can happen anywhere — in your home, on the ball field, or in your car, and can also affect any portion of your back:
Symptoms include intense pain, swelling and sensitivity, mobility problems, numbness or tingling that can radiate to your arms and legs, and altered posture.
These issues emerge when your vertebra can’t sustain the weight or pressure of what prompted the fracture — whether that’s a narrowing of the spinal canal, blunt force, or vulnerability stemming from an infection or tumor.
Though compression fractures are the most common type of spinal fracture, you can also be affected by a burst fracture — a sudden, forceful compression of your spine that can shatter vertebrae. On the other end of the fracture spectrum, a chance fracture occurs when your vertebrae are actually pulled away from each other.
The path to recovery is different for every patient.
Dr. Cohen focuses first on conservative, noninvasive treatments if he can, including wearing a brace for months to keep your back immobilized. He might also recommend physical therapy to ensure you’re getting proper treatment if osteoporosis is responsible for your fracture.
The time it takes to heal from your fracture depends on the type of fracture you sustained, other conditions you may live with, and the location of your broken vertebrae, but many people’s fractures heal within a few months.
Surgery may be necessary if a conservative approach doesn’t relieve you.
Dr. Cohen might perform a lumbar vertebral body replacement if the fracture broke the oval bone, which is the classic image that comes to mind when we imagine a vertebra. During this procedure, he removes your broken vertebrae and places a small metal cage filled with bone grafting agents in the space. This actually stimulates bone growth.
While your vertebral body heals, the graft material grows outside the cage and, amazingly, fuses with your own bone, stabilizing your spine. This process takes about three to six months.
Dr. Cohen may also perform either kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty. During both procedures, he injects bone cement into your broken vertebrae, strengthening and stabilizing it. With kyphoplasty, he first expands the bone using a balloon before the cement injection step.
After surgery, you’ll likely feel pain for a few days, but over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen help. Dr. Cohen wants you to resume moving around but not doing anything strenuous or awkward, like twisting.
A brace or physical therapy can also help you heal after surgery. Before surgery, it’s smart to arrange for some help at home while you’re recovering.
It takes about six weeks to recover from spinal fracture surgery and several months for your spine to heal. During that six-week period, don’t bend and refrain from lifting anything over 10 pounds.
Another piece of news patients welcome: Whenever possible, Dr. Cohen performs minimally invasive surgery, which requires only several small incisions that are less traumatic to the body. He uses specially designed surgical tools. Patients who undergo these procedures heal faster, experience less bleeding and scarring, and experience fewer post-surgery infections.
Learn more about spinal fracture treatment options today by calling our Garden City office at 516-246-5008 or contacting us through our website.
