Your spine is your backbone. It's made up of a lot of small bones stacked up like building blocks.
What is a compression fracture of the spine?
Something that's compressed is squashed down. If you compress something that's hard, it can crack. So a compression fracture of the spine is when one of the bones in your spine is squashed down and cracked.
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Compression fractures of the spine usually happen in the middle or lower back
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Usually they happen in older people, especially those with back bones weakened by osteoporosis or cancer
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When back bones are weakened, it doesn't take much force to cause a compression fracture
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You may not remember hurting yourself
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Usually your back hurts, but you may not have any pain
What causes compression fractures of the spine?
Common causes:
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Lifting something
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Falling, especially if you land on your feet, which puts pressure on your spine and may also cause a broken heel
Less often, compression fractures are caused by serious injuries, such as car crashes or gunshots.
You're at higher risk if you have:
If you're at high risk, you can get a compression fracture just from stumbling, twisting, or getting out of bed. You may not even know what caused the fracture.
