Back condition
A compression fracture is a vertebra collapsing under load its bone could no longer bear — classically sudden back pain in an older adult, sometimes from nothing more than a cough, a lift or a small stumble. Our job here is double: heal the break, then treat the bone — because the first fracture is also a warning about the next.
Most compression fractures are stable — these signs say yours needs urgent eyes. Tap any that apply:
A fracture with these features needs urgent assessment. They can signal an unstable fracture, nerve involvement, or a cause beyond thinning bone that must be ruled out properly — and any bladder or bowel change is an emergency today.
Good news — this fits the stable pattern that heals well. Stable still deserves proper care: confirming the fracture, managing the pain so you can keep moving, and — crucially — checking the bone that let it happen. That's one visit.
A healthy vertebra withstands enormous load. Compression fractures happen when the load wins — usually because the bone changed, occasionally because the load did:
And the number that drives everything we do here: one vertebral fracture raises the risk of the next several-fold. The fracture is an event; the fragile bone is the condition.
Balance rest and motion — the fracture wants a few quiet days, but the rest of you doesn't: prolonged bed rest weakens muscle and thins bone further, which is the opposite of what a fragile spine needs. Move in short, frequent spells with lying breaks between; let pain set the pace; skip heavy lifting and deep forward bending for now; heat helps the guarding muscles, and simple pain relief from your pharmacist covers the edge. And book the assessment — a first fracture means the bone itself is due a check.
Compression fractures arrive at different moments — tap the one that fits:
Fresh pain deserves a fresh diagnosis. Confirming the fracture now — and whether it's new — sets up everything: the right pain plan, bracing if it helps, and the bone assessment that stops fracture number two. Come in early rather than toughing it out.
Six weeks of real pain is past the point of waiting. A confirmed fracture still limiting your life at this stage is exactly when cement stabilisation — a day procedure with often rapid relief — enters the conversation. An MRI tells us if yours is suitable.
Old fractures and shrinking height mean the cascade has started — and it can be stopped. Bone-strengthening treatment, balance training and fall-proofing cut the risk of the next fracture dramatically. This visit is about the years ahead, not just the back.
Diagnosis first: X-rays confirm the fracture, MRI tells a fresh break from an old one — which decides the options — and a bone density scan measures the bone that failed. Then, two treatments in one plan:
Whatever the recommendation, our specialist walks you through the options, the risks and the expected recovery before anything is decided.
Tap a card to reveal the truth:
Fracture prevention stands on three legs: stay faithful to the bone-strengthening treatment — it works quietly, over years; train the body that carries the bone — weight-bearing exercise for strength, balance work so stumbles don't become falls; and fall-proof the everyday — lighting, rails, footwear, and rugs that behave. Add bone-friendly habits — calcium-rich foods, sensible sunshine, not smoking — and keep the scheduled bone checks. The cascade is real; so is the off switch.
Most heal in about six to twelve weeks — the bone knits like any fracture. Pain usually improves steadily over that period with the right support: paced mobilisation, pain control and sometimes a brace. Pain that stays severe beyond the early weeks is the signal to discuss more — that's where cement stabilisation earns its place.
Most do. The majority settle with pain-managed mobilisation, bracing where helpful, and time — no operation needed. The two exceptions: fractures that remain disabling despite proper care, which can be stabilised with a cement procedure, and the rare fracture pressing on nerves, which needs surgical attention.
Both stabilise a painful fractured vertebra from the inside: through a needle, under image guidance, medical-grade cement is placed into the broken bone — kyphoplasty first gently restores some height with a small balloon. It's a day procedure, not open surgery, and pain relief is often rapid. We consider it when a confirmed fresh fracture is still limiting life after conservative care.
Because the bone was quietly thinning long before it broke — osteoporosis has no symptoms until the first fracture. When a cough, a lift or a small stumble cracks a vertebra, the fracture is really a message about the bone. That's why every first fracture here triggers a bone-health assessment, not just fracture care.
This is the question that matters most — one vertebral fracture raises the risk of the next several-fold. Prevention has three legs: treating the underlying bone loss properly, training strength and balance so falls don't happen, and making your daily environment fall-proof. Done together, the cascade stops with this fracture.
Same-day appointments are usually available. Call or book online — our team will take it from there.
