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Camerton, Bath, BA2 0PJGeneral email: [email protected]
National Osteoporosis Society is a registered charity No. 1102712 in England and Wales and no. SC039755 in Scotland.
Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales no. 4995013
NOS 00222 Published June 2016.
Living with fractures caused by osteoporosis
The aims of physiotherapy include:
• Improvingmobility,independenceandgenerallygettingbacktonormal
• Improvingbalanceandmusclestrengthtoreducetheriskofafall
• Improving,flexibility,breathingandposture.Evenifyousufferfromseverecurvatureofthespine,itispossiblethatappropriateexercisesandsomeactivitymaybringreliefandimprovement
• Increasingconfidenceandwellbeing
• Helpingwithpain.PhysiotherapistscanofferacombinationofpainrelievingtechniquessuchasTENSmachines,acupuncture,hydrotherapy,andexercisestailoredtoyourneeds.
Surgical techniques may be appropriate for some people with spinal fractures to help with severe pain. See our factsheet on Percutaneous vertebroplasty, balloon kyphoplasty and osteoporosis.
Living with fractures
Many people will have no long-term problems once their fractures have healed. Spinal fractures, however, may result in height loss and postural changes causing your stomach to feel uncomfortable and bloated, pressure on your bladder and sometimes shortness of breath. This can make day-to-day living more difficult. We have produced a range of publications specifically for people living with the consequences of these fractures:
See our booklet All About Osteoporosis for comprehensive information on managing pain and symptoms following spinal fractures.
For osteoporosis information and support contact our Helpline:
0808 800 0035
To order an information pack or other publications:
01761 471771
Download publications at www.nos.org.uk
Our publications are available free of charge, but as a charity, we would appreciate any donation you are able to give to support our work. Or why not join us as a member to receive our quarterly magazine, packed with useful information, tips and the latest medical news?
01761 473287
www.nos.org.uk
Helping with the pain and problems caused by broken bones
The information in these factsheets is most relevant if you have had spinal fractures but they may also be useful if you have had other fractures such as a broken hip.
For detailed information on particular problems following fracture see our range of factsheets and booklets:
Daily living after fractures. Useful hints and tips about washing, dressing, eating, sleeping etc. which can make day to day life easier if you are living with fractures.
Out and about after fractures. This includes information about gardening and driving after fractures.
Financial help after fractures. This explores the financial benefits you may be entitled to.
Pain relieving drugs after fractures. This explains how to relieve pain after fractures using pain relieving medications, and how you and your doctor can work together to find ones that work best for you.
Managing persistent pain after fractures. This provides tried and tested ways of managing persistent pain caused by fractures in addition to or sometimes instead of taking pain relieving medications.
Clothing, body image and osteoporosis. This may be helpful if you are struggling to find clothing that is both stylish and comfortable because of your height loss and postural changes.
Use this information to be positive and take control of your pain and problems. There is a lot you can do to make life easier after breaking bones – just keeping as active as you can throughout the day can improve your sense of well-being, lift your mood and reduce pain caused by muscle tension. It will also help to keep your bones strong and reduce the risk of further fractures in the future.
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• Thereareanumberofstepsandtechniquesyoucantakeyourselfwhichcanalsohelpyoutomanageyourpain.Theseincludepracticaltoolsfordaytodaylifesuchas“pacing”andrelaxation.FormoredetailedinformationonhowyoucancopebetterwithdifficultpainseeourfactsheetPersistent pain after fractures
• Self-managementcoursesaimtogiveyoutheskillsandknowledgetohelpmanagepainsymptoms,fatigueandemotionalproblems,tocommunicatebetterwithyourdoctor,makedecisionsaboutyourhealth,setpersonalgoals,andincreaseselfconfidenceandself-esteem.Talktoyourdoctoraboutavailablelocalcourses
• Exercisestobuildupmusclestrengthtosupportthespinecanbehelpful.Stayingactivehelpstoimprovepaininthelong-termandimprovesoverallfitnessandqualityoflife.SeeourbookletExercise and Osteoporosis
• Complementarytherapiessuchasacupuncture,theAlexanderTechnique,aromatherapy,herbalmedicine,homeopathyandreflexologymayhelpsomepeopletomanagetheirpain.SeeourfactsheetComplementary and alternative therapiesand osteoporosis
• NHSservices–talktoyourdoctoraboutareferralforphysiotherapy,hydrotherapyorareferraltoapainmanagementclinicifthereisoneavailableinyourarea.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis occurs when the struts which make up the mesh-like structure within bones become thin causing them to become fragile and break easily following a minor bump or fall. These broken bones are often referred to as fragility fractures. The terms ‘fracture’ and ‘broken bone’ mean the same thing. Although fractures can occur in different parts of the body, the wrists, hips and spine are most commonly affected. Spinal fractures can cause loss of height and curvature of the spine.
Strong dense bone Fragile osteoporotic bone
Living with pain
A broken hip or wrist will hurt when it breaks but is usually pain free when the fracture has healed. The experience of spinal compression fractures is different and varied. For some people, these fractures occur suddenly with severe and disabling pain but for many the compression of the bone is ‘silent’ causing little or no pain. Many people recover well from painful spinal compression fractures but some will go on to experience persistent (chronic) pain due to permanent spinal shape changes causing pressure on nerves and ligaments and sometimes problems with muscle spasm.
Remember pain is a very individual experience. Everyone responds to pain differently so pain relief which works for one person might not be effective for another. There is no easy solution which stops all pain but a good working partnership between you, your family and your GP is a helpful starting point.
There is a range of options which can help with pain:
• Acutepain(whichoccursaroundthetimeofthefracture)andlong-term(chronic)paincanrespondwelltopainrelievingmedicationsthatyoucanpurchasefromthechemistorsupermarket,suchasparacetamolandcodeine.Thepharmacistmaybeabletoprovideyouwithsomehelpfuladvice.Sometimespainismoresevereandyourdoctormayneedtoprescribestrongerpainrelievingdrugs.FormoreinformationseeourfactsheetPain relievingdrugs after fractures
• “Drugfree”approachestopainreliefareeasilyusedathome.TheseincludeaTENSmachinewhichusestinypulsesofelectricityfromasmallbatterytoblockfeelingsofpain,orheatandicepacksappliedtotheareaofpain.
Pacing means ‘Do a bit, rest a bit, and then do a bit more’.
Is osteoporosis painful?
Fragile bones are not painful unless they break, the pain associated with osteoporosis is due to the fractures (broken bones) it causes.
Does osteoporosis affect the healing process?
If you have had a fragility fracture caused by osteoporosis in the spine, wrist or hip, like any fracture, it will usually heal in about six to eight weeks, although sometimes it can take longer.
About spinal fractures
When fractures occur in the spine the bones are compressed because of their reduced strength. They are described as compression fractures. Sometimes they are referred to as ‘crush’, ‘collapsed’ or ‘wedge’ fractures depending on which part of the spinal bone (sometimes called the ‘vertebra’) is affected. Bones stay in this new shape even after healing has occurred.
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