Berri

Might is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, however for the 44 million Americans at threat for osteoporosis, several are typically unaware that they have the disease till they fracture a bone.

Envision experiencing back discomfort so extreme that every day activities such as walking, climbing stairs or grocery purchasing are no longer feasible. For Nancy Zacherl and many of the 700,000 others suffering from spinal fractures each and every year, this is a reality.

Following suffering a debilitating osteoporosis-connected spinal fracture, the once-active grandmother was no longer in a position to enjoy weekend motorcycle rides with her husband, take every day walks or play with her granddaughter. As an alternative, Zacherl was confined to bed simply because of excruciating back discomfort. Feeling depressed and helpless, Zacherl knew she had to see a medical professional.

"I believed the pain would go away, but it became progressively worse, producing breathing challenging," stated Zacherl. "I was desperate for support and knew I necessary remedy."

Upon the suggestions of her medical professional, Zacherl visited Jon Ledlie, M.D., a renowned neurosurgeon at Tyler Neurosurgical Associates in Tyler, Texas.

Like most individuals, Zacherl was surprised to discover that her back pain was the outcome of a spinal fracture, which happens when 1 of the bones in the spinal column (vertebra) weakens and collapses. Zacherl was excited to discover that a minimally invasive remedy referred to as Balloon Kyphoplasty could reduce her back discomfort as properly as restore the height of her fractured vertebra.

"Balloon Kyphoplasty has been shown to be an powerful therapy for repairing spinal fractures and providing quick and sustained improvements in pain and mobility," says Dr. Ledlie.

In addition, benefits of a 1st-ever, two-year study conducted by Dr. Ledlie and Dr. Mark Renfro identified that following Balloon Kyphoplasty, a majority of individuals skilled full pain relief, required substantially fewer pain drugs and showed improvement in their ability to walk independently and with no difficulty. The study, published January 2006 in Spine, also showed that Balloon Kyphoplasty restored height and maintained the shape of the impacted vertebra, results that have been maintained for two years soon after treatment. According to the authors, such outcomes may have a positive impact on extended-term overall health and survival.

Right away following the process, Zacherl's improvements in pain and mobility were similar to these identified in Dr. Ledlie's study.

"Balloon Kyphoplasty gave me back my life," stated Zacherl. "The pain was gone and inside days of the process, my husband and I took a long motorcycle ride and even went dancing."

With a lot more than 44 million Americans at danger for osteoporosis, a disease that causes bone to grow to be fragile, spinal fractures are a key health concern. Left untreated, numerous spinal fractures can outcome in kyphosis-a severe well being situation marked by forward curvature of the upper back, usually described as a "hunchback." Extreme kyphosis can compress the abdominal cavity and elevate the risk for complications and death.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) estimates that half of American girls and a single-fourth of American guys more than the age of 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. To greater recognize your fracture threat, regular bone density screenings are recommended.

Note: Although the complication rate with Balloon Kyphoplasty has been demonstrated to be low, as with most surgical procedures, there are risks related with Balloon Kyphoplasty, such as serious complications. Seek advice from with your medical doctor for a complete discussion of risks.

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While there are approximately 700,000 spinal fractures, also recognized as vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), occurring in the United States each year, only one particular-third are clinically diagnosed and treated, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Much more than 220,000 spinal fractures worldwide have been treated with Balloon Kyphoplasty since 1998.