T-12 20% Anterior Compression Fracture

[Rob V]

Here's what happened. June of 2009 I suffered a 20% anterior compression fracture to my T12. Had a CT scan last month, Dr said fusion is looking good, but I'm having trouble sleeping at night. I can sleep for about 4 or 5 hrs max, then have to wake up from the pain. Have to sleep sitting up after that. Really is getting old.

Has anyone had a similar problem? I guess what I'm looking to see is if anyone with a similar injury is having or has had the same problem. Also, if anyone has had a similar injury and is fully recovered how long did it take?

Or,,,, if you have had the same, how long ago & what are your symptoms?

Thanks in advance if you can provide any insight. I'm just looking for answers.

[Grange]

Good Luck Rob V... It seems to me that everybodies SCI is different even if it is physiologically similiar.

[TAM63]

Rob, do you have a spinal cord injury? Paralysis, numbness, any lack of function? Or was it just the vertebrae (bone) that was damaged?

There are many possible medications for pain. You sound like your pain is too bad (uncontrolled) as it is interfering with your sleep (and life). I would suggest you tell your doctor that your pain level is unacceptable, and ask him to please give you something to help with that.

Also, you might want to ask them if they are sure everything is actually ok - you don't have a compressed nerve or anything.

Can you describe where your pain is? And what it is like? (dull, sharp, throbbing, etc.?)

There are different kinds of pain - you can have the usual pain from a broken bone, sore muscle, cut, etc.

There is also neuropathic pain, which comes from the nervous system itself - something with the spinal cord, or a nerve being injured or compressed.

The treatments can be somewhat different.

[SeabeeMom]

Rob, my husband has 75% compression fractures of both T10 and T11. He gets much relief from sleeping on a latex mattress. They are spendy, and his next-best relief was from piling two 2" memory foam toppers (Walmart - $50 ea or so; stacked on top on one another for a 4" total) onto the mattress. I know from my own atraumatic SCI experience that the latex is awesome and does not retain heat as does the memory foam, but the price difference is stupdenous (latex is about 3 times the cost of the memory foam products). Either one is a great improvement over the typical "supreme" or "pillow-top" mattress.

His injury (auto accident) occurred 9/4/09; Our spinedoc (we share the same doc, isn't that fun? NO) says he'll be healed at about 5-6 mos due to his amount of fracturing in each vertebra. He takes sodium naproxen (Aleve) daily and refuses to take prescription pain meds. However, he may not have the same pain you have; he is very quiet-mouthed and stoic about pain, even tho I told him that suffering in silence is only hurting himself and may actually keep him tense (muscularly) and inhibit his healing. He's a stubborn redhead; after 27 years of marriage, I have come to learn he is very very stubborn.

Hopelessly in love with Mr. Stubborn,

Margie in Frigid Florida