Did you know that osteoporosis causes such extreme bone weakness that your vertebrae can collapse without a fall or injury? If that happens, the physicians at Pain Consultants of Atlanta may recommend kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that restores the bone and strengthens your spine. If you want to be considered for kyphoplasty, don’t wait too long to schedule an appointment. Use online booking or call the nearest office right away. The team has four office locations in Atlanta, Fayetteville, Stockbridge and Newnan, Georgia.
Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure to restore and strengthen a collapsed spinal vertebra. A vertebra may collapse when an infection or spinal tumor weakens the bone. But this problem most often occurs when you have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis develops over years of bone loss that causes brittle, weak bones. When osteoporosis affects the vertebrae, the bones can’t support your upper body weight or spinal movement.
The vertebrae get so weak that it only takes a forceful cough or twisting of your spine to collapse the bone. This is called a vertebral compression fracture.
Vertebral compression fractures usually occur in your middle or upper back (the thoracic spine) but can also affect your lower back (lumbar spine). When a vertebra collapses, you may experience symptoms such as:
When a vertebra collapses, the back side of the bone maintains its normal height while the front part breaks down. This height difference gives the bone a wedge-like shape.
If two or more vertebrae collapse, their wedge shapes form into a curve. As a result, you develop a rounded back, a condition called kyphosis.
Your provider at Pain Consultants of Atlanta inserts a hollow needle through your skin and into the center of the collapsed vertebra. Then they inflate a strong balloon that restores the vertebra’s height and creates space in the middle of the bone. After removing the balloon, they inject bone cement into the space.
The bone cement fills the space and hardens, restoring the bone’s shape and strength. You regain normal spine strength, and your pain disappears.
You must pay attention to timing if you want to have kyphoplasty. You can’t have this procedure if the bone heals while it’s collapsed, and most compression fractures heal in 8-10 weeks.
Chances are the pain will motivate you to see the doctor in plenty of time for kyphoplasty, but you should still be aware that the earlier you seek help, the better.
Call Pain Consultants of Atlanta today or use online booking to request an evaluation for your back pain.