How osteoporosis affects your spine

Our spines are fantastic feats of engineering. They’re made up of 33 individual bones and provide the main support for your body, allowing you to stand upright, bend and twist, while protecting the spinal cord from injury. Strong muscles and bones, flexible tendons and ligaments, and sensitive nerves all play a part in a healthy spine. Osteoporosis – brittle bones – softens the spinal bones.

For people affected by osteoporosis, the spine can be a site for fractures, usually in lower or middle areas. They’re often referred to as spinal or vertebral fractures. When these happen, bones become squashed or compressed because of their reduced strength. They’re hard to identify and are often not picked up by health professionals – 50-70% of vertebral fractures go undiagnosed.

Although spinal bones heal, they don’t return to their original shape, and this may result in height loss and curvature of the spine. If fractures in your spine have healed in a flattened or wedge shape, this can cause the spine to tip forwards, resulting in an outward curve, sometimes called kyphosis, in your back, as well as height loss. This can also lead to other problems such as breathlessness, a protruding abdomen and indigestion.

How do I know if I’ve got a broken bone in my spine?

Back pain is the most frequent symptom, however, the degree of pain varies in different people with many having no symptoms at all. In most people, spinal fractures heal over a period of 6-12 weeks and back pain tends to decrease during this time. Pain may persist for a longer period, particularly if you have had more than one fracture.

■ For more information go to theros.org.uk