{"id":11204,"date":"2019-08-27T07:40:59","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T07:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=11204"},"modified":"2021-04-27T14:13:07","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T14:13:07","slug":"15-common-causes-of-compression-fracture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-common-causes-of-compression-fracture\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Common Causes of Compression Fracture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A compression fracture describes a common type of fracture of the spine, which can be sustained either as a result of a sudden and traumatic injury to the spine or due to other long-term factors over a longer period of time, such as arthritis and other health conditions such as scoliosis. Compression fractures are very common ones, and emergency rooms see at least a few hundred compression fracture injuries every year \u2013 of course, the number of cases would be higher if all instances of compression fractures were diagnosed and recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms of a compression fracture include pain in the neck and back, associated pain and swelling as well as a reduction in height, which happens due to damage to the spinal disks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 8 common causes of a compression fracture that you should know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Degeneration Associated with Age<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The majority of people out there can imagine at least one older or elderly person whom they swear gets a little shorter every year \u2013 and its not imagination, but instead the fact that compression fractures are very commonly seen in older people. As we age, the building material that our bodies are made out of will degrade over time \u2013 and just like any other structure on earth, things start to crumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The degeneration <\/a>associated with age is one of the most common causes of a compression fracture, and is usually diagnosed later in life; there are many health conditions that can be diagnosed with this, including arthritis, which can make compression fractures a more likely possible event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This shouldn\u2019t be taken to mean that compression fractures are only a problem for older people since they can occur in anyone regardless of age depending on a variety of factors (including underlying degenerative conditions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Arthritis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fractures are commonly thought of as something that happens only due to sudden trauma sustained in an injury or accident, but not all fractures occur in sudden or immediate ways. What shows up as a fracture on an x-ray<\/a> once you\u2019ve injured yourself could have been simple, hairline cracks five years back that turned into a fracture later to name just one example \u2013 and this is especially true for compression fractures which can take a lot of time to occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any sign of back pain, skeletal pain or repeated inflammation of the joints should mean an immediate appointment with your doctor in order to have the proper tests done. There are many underlying health conditions that cause gradual degeneration of the spine and an increased risk of compression fractures \u2013 including arthritis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mention all the symptoms that you experience to your doctor to aid a more accurate diagnosis of your condition or injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Car Accidents<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Car accidents occur at a rate of hundreds every single day, and many of these have turned into fatal ones for one or more people involved in the accident \u2013 and people who survive traumatic physical events such as car accidents can have their entire lives changed from the moment it happens. Car accidents are often tied to a range of health maladies later on in life due to the initial injury, including pain from fractures in the accident, of which compression fractures are common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any traumatic injury to the spine can be a potential trigger for a compression fracture<\/a> should the pressure be located in the right place to \u201cpress\u201d the spine hard enough to damage or degenerate vertebrae and discs; car accidents are some of the more dangerous potential causes, and should mean that you visit the emergency room as soon as possible after an accident even if no initial symptoms are shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Sudden Traumatic Spinal Injuries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Compression fractures can be caused by a wide variety of different injuries, including car accidents \u2013 but these aren\u2019t the only possible causes of this type of fracture and any type of injury that damages the spine <\/a>places you at an increased risk of developing a compression fracture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience any kind of traumatic injury to the spine, pain and swelling are usually the first symptoms: When these symptoms subside, it can be put down to inflammation \u2013 but without an x-ray and the proper scans, there\u2019s no way to tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes traumatic spinal injuries are extremely obvious from the associated pain, but there are also many cases where people walk around with fractures for years without having it looked at, which only risks making the condition worse over time. See your doctor as soon as possible after any kind of traumatic spinal event to ensure an accurate and fast diagnosis, especially if you suspect a compression fracture \u2013 but even where you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. A Lifetime of Lifting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lot of people out there would imagine that breaks and fractures are only the types of injuries that happen suddenly, but this isn\u2019t the case with many \u2013 and certainly isn\u2019t the case when we\u2019re talking about compression fractures. Instead, a great deal of compression fracture cases that are reported annually happen over time and due to a combination of factors rather than just one severely traumatic event alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost every single career (or sometimes hobby) on earth can be associated with some or other type of characteristic injury: For writers and typists, it\u2019s often their wrists and hands that take the worst of it in the long-term, but for anyone who does a lot of lifting or standing as part of their careers is at an automatically higher risk of developing a compression fracture of the spine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience any spinal pain as a chronic <\/a>issue, whether it\u2019s sudden or gradual in onset, see your doctor and discontinue all forms of lifting and bending until you have seen a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Scoliosis and Spondylitis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a range of different conditions related to bone and spinal health which can increase your risk of developing a spinal compression fracture and other types of injuries; just some of these health conditions include arthritis, scoliosis <\/a>(a curvature of the spine) and ankylosing spondylitis. If you have been diagnosed with any of these conditions before, it almost goes without saying that you should take better care of your spinal health by default \u2013 and avoid anything else that can further increase your risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stick to a healthy diet and avoid lifting by default: With existing conditions like these, it\u2019s imperative to see a spinal and bone health specialist at least once every six months even when you don\u2019t suspect there\u2019s anything wrong with your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have not been diagnosed with any conditions but notice that you have a family history of ill general or bone health, see your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Chronic Posture Issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a range of different posture <\/a>issues which can lead to the potential for chronic spinal pain and an increased risk of spinal injuries and conditions like compression fractures. Most people who have issues with their posture might not even notice it at first and there are a thousand different medical reasons why it could happen; in some cases, it can happen where someone wears the wrong type of shoes for their body. It can also happen due to other injuries, inflammation, muscular conditions and added strain \u2013 and even using the wrong type of chair at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should you experience any type of chronic or recurring pain, that\u2019s the first sign that it\u2019s time to see your doctor for an appointment: Where it\u2019s a compression fracture or posture issue, it can almost always be diagnosed and treated with medical intervention early enough in the process \u2013 and the sooner the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Other Underlying Spinal Conditions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many more types of spinal health conditions and other health conditions that affect the spine that it would be impossible to mention all of them in one place \u2013 yes, even medical textbooks have to spread this out over several different volumes in order to cover all ground! Underlying spinal health conditions are ones that you might not know you have, and ones that can increase your risk of developing a compression fracture \u2013 and one of the only ways in which you can spot it in time is through an early enough diagnosis<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you experience any discomfort and pain that you would consider outside of your normal spectrum; this can help to diagnose many of these specific spinal conditions early on, where they can be managed and treated to reduce the risk of any spinal injuries such as compression fractures occurring later on in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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