The Doctor Is In

Dr Max Pemberton

Q: Around a year ago I broke one of the vertebrae in my spine. Although it’s healed, it’s left behind an unsightly stoop which makes me look far older than I feel. I’ve seen back braces advertised on Facebook that claim to fix posture—are these a good idea or just a social media fad? I’m not sure how else to get my old posture back and look less like an old man! - Arnold, 81

A: Goodness, what an unpleasant thing to have happened. As I’m sure you know, a vertebral fracture is a break to one of the bones in your spine. Your spine runs from the base of your skull to your pelvis. How this is treated depends on a number of factors such as where along your spine you have fractured and the number of spinal fractures you have. Depending on where the fracture is, if the nerves become bruised or pinched then people sometimes experience shooting pains or numbness particularly in the legs or buttocks. Thankfully, the majority of fractures heal without complication, although they can still be jolly painful while they heal.

Most of the time you don’t need any specific treatment except for rest and painkillers. Unfortunately, sometimes it results in the spine becoming curved or shorter. This can result in a “stoop” or hunched back.

It’s true that braces are sometimes used to stabilise the spine while it heals. However, these have to be carefully fitted by a specialist and I’d strongly advise against buying one off the internet. I spoke to a friend who is a spinal surgeon about this and he was quite horrified that they were being sold in this way. He suggested asking your GP to refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon to get advice on what the best course of action would be. So please don’t buy a back brace off the internet and instead see your doctor. It also worth thinking about why this has happened as it can be a sign of osteoporosis—thinning of the bones. A bone scan can tell you if you have this and, if so, then you should be on treatment to try to halt the progression, strengthen the bones and reduce the risk of further fractures.

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