![]() If the bone becomes too weak to hold normal pressure, it may not take much pressure to cause the vertebral body to collapse. There is not one single cause of compression fractures, though the word compression would indicate that the fracture occurs because of too much pressure being placed on the bone. What Causes a Thoracic Compression Fracture? Fortunately, this is not a common occurrence. In very severe compression fractures, the back of the vertebral body may actually protrude into the spinal canal and put pressure on the spinal cord. The cancellous bone on the inside of the vertebral body gets crushed or compressed. The fracture occurs when the bone actually collapses and the front (anterior) part of the vertebral body forms a wedge shape. This causes the spine to bend forward concentrating the pressure on the front part of the spine – the vertebral body. For example, falling from a chair in a sitting position on the floor usually causes your head to go forward at the same time your buttocks hit the floor. ![]() This usually results from a combination of bending forward and downward pressure on the spine. It will also show you the all important angels' wings exercise.To best understand lumbar spine injuries, it helps to know some anatomy of the overall spine.Ĭompression fractures of the spine usually occur at the bottom part of the thoracic spine (T11 and T12) and the first vertebra of the lumbar spine (L1).Ĭompression fractures of the spine generally occur from too much pressure on the vertebral body. It is described more briefly here in using the BackBlock for the upper back. The standard lumbar BackBlock routine is described here in how to do the BackBlock. Watching the downloadable video from the back pain video package at the bottom of this page will carefully take you through how to do the BackBlock for the upper back, and more importantly how to get off the Block without hurting yourself. The thoracic BackBlock procedure is described in detail in the Thoracic Spine section of the book 'Body in Action' which is available on Sarah Key Books, together with other important mobilising exercises for this part of the body. The harder surface creates an un-buckling decompressive effect on the spinal segments and interrupts the crushing bending forces, in both the thoracic and lumbar spines.Īfter a period of three months has transpired since the most recent fracture patients can then progress to using a 1.5cm book under both thoracic and lumbar spines and as soon as this becomes comfortable, using the BackBlock. The first step in conservative management of these conditions is simply spending a couple of minutes per day lying flat on the back on a carpeted floor, with a small pillow only under the head. You can read more about it in the page upper back pain with breathing. People with advanced postural kyphosis can avoid getting to the sad juncture of spontaneous fracturing by doing their own thoracic spine decompression on a daily basis. Advanced thoracic kyphosis is a common cause of breathing difficulties and pain associated with breathing. It can also be the source of great pain in the upper back and around the sides and front of the chest wall. ![]() This is a case of stooped upper back, known as a postural kyphosis a self treatment approach to manage and prevent spine compression fracturesĪpart from the possibility of fractures, a hunched upper back looks unsightly. ![]() Also, the spine is usually quite stable in the aftermath and does not require internal fixation, or any other surgical procedure. Although the pictures on MRI or X-ray can look alarming, there's often surprisingly little pain from this crush fracture. The mechanics of the injury are sufficient to crumple the bone of the front (or side) of the vertebral body. This is caused by a savage forced bending strain (usually forwards) buckling the spine down on itself at a moment of traumatic impact. Apart from the tragedy of lifetime paralysis, the spine is left mechanically unstable and usually needs surgical stabilisation.Ī typical spine compression fracture is a wedge fracture. The spine can suffer crush fractures of the vertebral bodies as well as snapping breakages of the various bony fins sprigging from the sides of the vertebrae (these are for muscle attachment) such as the transverse and spinous processes. The sorts of spinal fractures that cause paraplegia and quadriplegia (with paralysis of the legs in the former and arms and legs in the latter) involve traumatic shearing forces across the spine, transecting the soft spinal cord inside the bony column, like slicing through a sausage. T12, at high waist level, has suffered a compression fracture a wedge fracture is One Of The common spine compression fractures
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