What Happens When You Break Your Spine?

What Happens When You Break Your Spine? When your spine breaks, you will likely experience spine pain when sitting or walking, tingling, and numbness sensations. And if the fracture is severe, you may get paralysis (inability to move your legs and hands.) A spinal break known as a spinal fracture is a severe orthopedic injury, which may lead to irreversible complications if not treated promptly.

This article gives you a brief rundown on precisely what a spine fracture is. The causes and risk factors that predispose you to spine fractures. The symptoms indicating that you have a spinal fracture—the dos and don’ts after suffering from a broken spine. Investigations are done to diagnose a spine fracture and the different methods of treatment used to treat your broken spine.

What exactly is a spine fracture?

A spine (also known as a backbone or spinal column) fracture is any breakage that occurs along your spine. Note there is a difference between your spinal cord and your spine. Your spine is the long bony flexible column made up of 33 vertebrae(bones). It helps you sit, walk and maintain an upright posture.

In comparison, your spinal cord is a special tube found inside your spine that starts from the stem of your brain to the bottom of your spine—functions to transmit signals from your body to your body parts. Your lumbar (lower back) and cervical(neck) region are the most sensitive parts for a spine fracture to occur.

This is so because they are the most flexible parts in your spinal column. Most spine fractures occur more in males than in females, with ages between 16-30 comprising the most significant populations with backbone fractures.

What are the causes of spine fractures?

• Road traffic accidents-accounts for about 45% of spine fractures
• Falls from buildings, cliffs, slippery surfaces (especially in bathrooms) account for about 20% of spine fractures
• Acts of violence-an estimated 15% of people get spine fractures from physical confrontations or burglary

What are some of the conditions that predispose you to break your spine easily?

• Arthritic conditions that affect your spines vertebrae joints
• Back strains-an injury to your spines muscle or tendons
• Back sprains-injury to your spines ligament due to stretching or tearing
• Congenital spine defects such as spina bifida
• Pathological conditions such as osteoporosis
• Infections that affect your spines bones-Osteomyelitis

What are the symptoms that indicate that you may have a spine fracture?

If you are predisposed to spine fracture or have been involved in an accident, below are the signs and symptoms you should look out for.

• Numbness is where you feel like they are a loss of sensation in your part of your body
• Back or neck pain that may or may not is associated with a fever
• Muscle spasms along your spine vertebrae
• Pain that radiates from your back down to your feet
• Tingling or prickling sensation in the injured region
• Inability to control your bladder and bowel movements

How do doctors diagnose you with a spine fracture?

Before any diagnosis is made on you, doctors must first ensure that your breathing is not compromised. Then stabilization on your fracture will be done to relieve you from pain. Below are some of the standard investigations done on you by doctors to determine whether you have a fracture or not.

• Particular extension and flexion X-rays done on your spine to detect any abnormal movements

• Computerized Tomography (CT) scan-performed to view any changes that might have occurred in your spine structures following a spine breaking incident

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging-this is a highly sophisticated type of scan used to diagnose any form of damage in your back’s soft tissues

Treatment

Treatment aims to ensure that your spine continues functioning properly even after a fracture. Below are some of the most commonly used treatment procedures;

Pain management

Doctors will give you analgesics (pain relievers) to help reduce and relieve your pain.

Stabilization

Braces and Orthoses are used to stabilize your spine fracture. This helps prevent any further damage that might occur if your broken spine is left unstabilized. Some of the complications that may occur include;

• Piercing of surrounding organs by a broken bone which can cause internal bleeding
• Injury to your spinal cord

Spinal traction

Spinal tractions help align your vertebrae bones and relieve your pain by decompressing any injured nerve. For example, a Halo ring and a vest collar can be used in a neck fracture during a traction procedure.

Use of instrumentation and fusion in surgery

Surgery is performed if the break-in of your spine is severe. An Orthopedic surgeon uses grafts to fuse your separated spine bones. Surgical screws, cages, and hoods are also used to keep your spine immobile, thus fastening its healing rate.

How to prevent spine fractures

• Drive safely and always wear a safety belt
• Observe safety measures while indulging in activities that you can easily fall
• Regularly scheduled appointments with your doctor if you are at a predisposed risk of getting a spine fracture
• Avoid engaging in activities that may cause you to strain or sprain your back

What to do in case you break your spine

• Immediately call an emergency operator if you are alone
• Place cold packs or ice on the place you feel pain
• You can take pain relievers before help arrives; remember to tell the orthopedic what drug you used
• Don’t move around; instead, stay in a stationary position until help arrives

Things you should never do

• Don’t try and bend; instead, try as much as possible to stay in an upright position
• Never sleep on your stomach-makes the pain worse
• Do not do any heavy lifting

What Happens When You Break Your Spine? –
Key takeaway

Although most of the fractures are not life-threatening as spine fractures, which can lead to paralysis or death if prompt action is not taken. After treatment, most spine fractures may take a couple of weeks to months (6 mostly) to heal. However, some people may take up to 1 0r 2 years before they fully recover.

Healing depends on the severity of the fracture. If you have pain in your neck or back, a numbing and tingling sensation on your back following an incident that may indicate a spinal injury, immediately schedule an appointment with your Orthopedic doctor.

Remember not to sleep on your stomach after a spine fracture, as this will aggravates the pain. Ensure that you observe all the safety rules during climbing activities or while driving to reduce if not totally prevent the probability of suffering from a broken spine.