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Print articleDiagnosing a spinal compression fracture
Back pain may seem like arthritis or the aches and pains of ageing. People often think it's a disc problem or muscle strain. Many people don't even get examined because they don't realise what the problem is. But often back pain among older adults is caused by a spinal compression fracture.
Only your doctor can diagnose a spinal compression fracture. To determine what's wrong, your doctor may ask questions such as:
Pain Management: Physiotherapy
Sometimes pain treatment can be accomplished through physiotherapy. Physiotherapy (physio) involves the treatment, healing, and prevention of injuries or disabilities. Physiotherapy helps to relieve pain, promote healing and restore function and movement. Physiotherapy is practiced by a professionally trained physiotherapist under the referral of a doctor. A physiotherapist is a specialist skilled and educated specifically in proper rehabilitation.
Read the Pain Management: Physiotherapy article > >
- How long have you had the back pain?
- What caused it?
- What were you doing when it started?
- Is the pain getting worse or better?
Your doctor may also prescribe tests such as:
- a spinal x-ray to determine whether a vertebra has collapsed
- a CT scan to provide detail of the fractured bone and the nerves around it
- an MRI scan to show greater detail of nerves and nearby discs.
Also, a bone biopsy may be done because a small percentage of patients have compression fractures caused by cancer.
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