The team at Macomb Pain Management is constantly investigating the latest minimally invasive techniques to help reduce chronic pain. Our Board-Certified physicians have decades of experience helping patients take back their lives from the grips of chronic pain. One procedure that is showing significant promise with vertebral compression fractures is kyphoplasty. In this blog, we’ll introduce this procedure and explain how it can help relieve pain for those with this debilitating condition.
What is Kyphoplasty?
When a bone in your spine cracks, you have what’s known as a spine fracture. Depending on the severity of your fracture, you may need a surgical procedure of some type. One procedure that has seen success with vertebral compression fractures is called kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that uses bone cement to repair and stabilize certain types of vertebral compression fractures.
Understanding Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCFs)
Vertebral compression fractures also referred to as VCFs, can be caused by several factors and conditions, including trauma, osteoporosis, and metastatic disease. Osteoporosis is the most common cause of compression fractures in the spine. It’s estimated that as many as 1 million spinal compression fractures happen on an annual basis.
Symptoms of Spinal Compression Fractures
Compression fracture symptoms can range from relatively mild to severe. Symptoms of a spinal fracture may include:
- Tingling in the back
- Back pain can occur suddenly and last for a prolonged time. Pain often occurs in the center of the back between the shoulders and the lower back.
- Decreased mobility
- Spinal deformity
How Are Compression Fractures Diagnosed?
If you’re experiencing pain in and around the center of your back, it could be due to a compression fracture. The only way to know for sure is to schedule a consultation with a pain management doctor like those at Macomb Pain Management. Our Board-Certified doctors have extensive experience identifying compression fractures through physical examination and imaging studies such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans.
The Kyphoplasty Procedure
Once a pain management doctor has determined you would be a good fit for kyphoplasty, you’ll be scheduled for the procedure. Below is a rough outline of the procedure steps:
- Anesthesia – Typically, local anesthesia is all that is required
- Balloon Insertion – A small incision is made in the spine, and a balloon is inserted into the fractured vertebra.
- Balloon Inflation – The balloon is then inflated to create a cavity.
- Cement Injection – Bone cement is injected inside the newly created cavity to help stabilize the vertebra.
Benefits of Kyphoplasty
There are a whole host of benefits to kyphoplasty, a few of which we’ll outline below:
- Minimally invasive
- Immediate pain relief
- Little to no recovery time
- Can be done in an outpatient facility
- Can be spotted on X-rays
- Is covered by most insurance providers
- No major scars or incisions
Interested in Learning More About Whether You’re a Good Candidate for Kyphoplasty?
If you’re experiencing back and spinal pain, kyphoplasty could be a good option. To learn more about reducing your pain and improving your quality of life through minimally invasive procedures such as kyphoplasty, please contact the experienced team at Macomb Pain Management today. We can be reached by phone at (248) 844-8281.
