When spinal fractures or tumors occur, our pain management team is here to help.
As we get older, our bones start to weaken. Many older adults, particularly women, are diagnosed with osteoporosis, which causes thinning of the bones. This, in turn, can also lead to fractures. The unfortunate part is that osteoporosis can also increase your risk for spinal fractures. If you’re dealing with persistent back pain, this could be a sign of a spinal compression fracture. This is when turning to our Reno, NV, board-certified interventional pain specialist and anesthesiologist Dr. Ali Nairizi for urgent care is the best decision you could make for your health.
How do I know that I’m dealing with a spinal compression fracture?
Dealing with aches and pains might seem normal, especially as you get older, but even minor back pain shouldn’t go ignored. Our Reno, NV, pain doctor Dr. Nairizi sees this all the time: patients coming in after months or even years of back pain, just to find out that they are dealing with a compression fracture. Could you have a compression fracture?
If you find that your back pain gets worse when standing or with certain movements but improves with rest, if you have trouble bending or twisting your body due to pain or if you find that you are hunching more these days, these are all signs of a spinal compression fracture. It’s time to come in for an evaluation.
Could I have a tumor on my spine?
While injuries, trauma, and osteoporosis are often to blame for spinal compression fractures, it’s important that we rule out the possibility of a spinal tumor. The two cancers that are most likely to cause spinal compression fractures are bone metastasis and multiple myeloma. Since back pain is often the first sign of a spinal tumor, it’s important that you turn to our team as soon as possible if your back pain doesn’t go away or is getting worse.
How are spinal compression fractures treated?
Here at United Pain Urgent Care, we are dedicated to providing our patients with the latest and most state-of-the-art treatment options, especially when dealing with more complex and severe issues such as spinal compression fractures. If we determine that surgery is the best way to correct your compression fracture, or if we need to remove a cancerous tumor from the spinal column, we will perform this through a minimally invasive procedure known as kyphoplasty. If your compression fracture is due to osteoporosis or a cancerous lesion of the spine, this procedure is often the first choice for treatment.
Through the kyphoplasty procedure, we fill the fractured vertebrae with cement to strengthen and restore them. If a tumor is the cause of your fracture, we will also utilize our STAR™ Tumor Ablation System, which breaks up tumors.
United Pain Urgent Care is the first and only urgent care for pain and injury in Reno, NV. If you are worried that your back pain could be a sign of a spinal fracture, call our team right away at (775) 384-1380 or come into our practice for an immediate evaluation.