Compression Fractures
When is Back Pain a Fracture?
Osteoporosis and Back Pain
Spinal fractures that occur as a result of osteoporosis are actually quite common, occurring in approximately 750,000 people in the U.S. each year.
The problem is that the fracture is not always diagnosed—instead, the problem is often just thought of as general back pain, such as from a muscle strain or other soft tissue injury, or as a common part of aging. Because of this, approximately two thirds—or 500,000—of the vertebral fractures that occur each year are not diagnosed and therefore not treated.
Spinal fractures due to osteoporosis often occur while doing something that causes relatively minor trauma to the spine, such as opening a window, an insignificant fall, or twisting while lifting. Advanced cases of osteoporosis can even lead to a vertebral fracture with routine activities that would normally not cause any trauma, such as sneezing, coughing or turning over in bed.
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