If you have sudden pain in your back, especially if you are over age 65, it might be more than just a pulled muscle or a sign of aging. About 25% of postmenopausal women experience compression fractures, and older men are at risk as well.

A compression fracture occurs in the vertebrae of your spine. The break usually happens in the front of the vertebra, causing it to collapse toward the front of the spine. In some cases, the entire vertebra can fracture. It's important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent serious issues in the future. 

The most common cause of compression fractures is osteoporosis, a bone disease that makes bones weak and brittle. In fact, about 750,000 people with the disease experience a compression fracture every year, with the risk rising as people age. While osteoporosis occurs more commonly in women than in men, everyone is at risk for compression fractures as they get older and bones become weaker.

People with severe forms of osteoporosis can fracture vertebrae by doing simple everyday tasks, such as lifting a light object or walking down the stairs or even sneezing. In those with more moderate disease, a break takes more force, such as that of a fall or lifting something too heavy.

But people with healthy bones can also experience compression fractures, usually as a result of trauma to the spine. Hard falls, car accidents, or other injuries can cause vertebrae to break. More rarely, metastatic tumors can destroy the structure of vertebrae and cause them to collapse.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you might have a compression fracture:

• Back pain that comes on suddenly
• Pain that gets worse when standing or walking and feels better when lying on your back
• Limited mobility in your spine, including difficulty bending or twisting
• Height loss over time

The long-term effects of a spinal compression fracture can eventually lead to other complications if not treated. While it doesn't usually cause any damage to nerves or the spinal cord, over time acute pain can shift to chronic pain. The fracture can also lead to deformity in the back and disability, as well as the crowding of internal organs. A lack of physical activity resulting from these issues can then cause loss of muscle mass.

If you suspect you might have a compression fracture, visit an orthopedic physician. Often, he or she will be able to make a diagnosis simply by going through your symptoms and health history and performing a physical exam. Imaging, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs, can help confirm the diagnosis of a fracture and allow your physician to develop the best treatment plan. DEXA bone density scans can help identify your risk of fracture before an injury occurs.

Compression fracture treatment often begins with conservative methods. These include:

• Rest and reduce physical activities
• Medication, including over-the-counter pain meds, such as acetaminophen and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); muscle relaxants; and bone-strengthening drugs
• Back bracing to limit mobility in the spine

Using these methods, pain from compression fractures usually gets better within days or a few weeks and resolves completely within three months. But if conservative treatments are not effective, your provider might recommend surgery. In most cases, a minimally invasive procedure called vertebroplasty can be performed to stabilize the bone and reduce pain by injecting bone cement into the collapsed vertebra. A similar procedure called kyphoplasty uses a balloon to guide the placement of the cement and heighten the space between bones.