Healthwise - Winter 2012 - (Page 7)

Beat Back Pain Don’t turn your back on spinal pain J ohn Carlson, a retired pharmacist, enjoys working on old sports cars and model planes. Late one night, he woke up to get a drink of water when, quite unexpectedly, he passed out and fell to the floor. A physical exam revealed vertebral compression fractures of the back, meaning the bones of his spine had collapsed. Carlson was prescribed bed rest and medication to control the pain. More specifically, Carlson’s vertebral fracture was caused by osteoporosis. The surgeon general reports that by 2020 one in two Americans over age 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass, which is where St. Claire Regional comes in. Hope for Patients with Spinal Fractures It’s important that you don’t ignore back pain, especially if you are over age 50, as it could be a signal that you have a spinal fracture. In the past, remedies included pain medication, bed rest and a back brace. These helped with the pain but didn’t treat the fracture. Today, St. Claire Regional’s boardcertified radiologists Craig Butler, M.D., William Lewis, M.D., and Stephen Williams, M.D., offer an option that treats the pain and repairs the fractured bone: balloon kyphoplasty. © glowimages.com Ballooning Benefits Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure designed to treat spinal fractures that can be performed under local or general anesthesia. It typically takes about one hour to treat each fracture, and, in some cases, it may require an overnight hospital stay. The benefits of balloon kyphoplasty are considerable. It can restore vertebral body height, significantly reduce back pain and increase mobility, often shortly after the procedure. In addition to having reduced pain, patients are able to return to everyday activities such as walking, reaching, bending and lifting. Many also report improved and sustained mental and emotional health. “After the procedure, you could see that the vertebra went back to its normal shape and size,” Carlson says. “I left the hospital with no limitations on my activities. I felt fabulous!” 1 Incision sites after balloon kyphoplasty procedure. Don’t Let Back Pain Win If you suffer from a sudden onset of back pain or tenderness accompanied by muscle spasms, you may have a spinal fracture. Find out if balloon kyphoplasty is right for you by calling us at 606-783-6761 . St. Claire Regional Medical Center • www.st-claire.org 7 http://www.st-claire.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthwise - Winter 2012

Healthwise - Winter 2012