Denton County Living Well Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 50

BACK TO A
HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE
Procedure Offers Relief for Patients with Fractured Vertebrae
Balloon Kyphoplasty Features Numerous Benefits
By Jennifer Zahn, MD, MPH
You were getting out of bed and suddenly felt a “pop” and an intense
amount of pain in your back that
nearly leaves you unable to move. Osteoporosis has caused your bones to
become so weak and brittle that everyday activities, such as walking, sleeping and getting out of bed, become
more difficult than usual. The
back pain is caused by small
fractures in the spine, also
known as vertebral compression fractures (VCF).
Most VCFs are caused by
osteoporosis, a disease that
causes bones to become brittle and break easily. Osteoporosis, often called the “silent disease” because bone
loss occurs without symptoms, threatens approximately 44 million Americans, or
55% of the people 50 years
old and older, according to
the National Osteoporosis
Foundation. Ten million people have the disease and 34
million more are estimated
to have the low bone mass that places
them at risk for the disease.
If not prevented or if left untreated,
osteoporosis can progress painlessly
as bones gradually break down, until
a bone breaks. These broken bones
occur typically in the spine, hip, and
wrist. People may not even know they
have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain,
bump or fall causes an injury such as
a VCF.
A VCF can cause severe back pain.
Left untreated, one VCF can lead to
multiple fractures that can cause kyphosis – a serious health condition

marked by forward curvature of the
upper back, commonly called a “dowager’s hump.” This condition can lead
to a host of health problems including
loss of appetite, sleeping problems, difficulty in breathing, and an increased
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