Osteoporosis: Coping With Chronic Pain

Osteoporosis often causes very painful fractures, which can take many months to heal. In many cases, the pain starts to go away as the fracture heals. Most new fractures heal in approximately 3 months. Pain that continues after that is generally considered chronic pain. One cause of chronic pain is vertebral fractures. When a vertebra breaks, some people have no pain, while others have intense pain and muscle spasms that last long after the fracture has healed.

Pain is the body’s way of responding to an injury. When a bone breaks, nerves send pain messages through the spinal cord to the brain, where they are interpreted. Your response to pain is determined by many factors, including your emotional outlook. For example, depression seems to increase a person’s perception of pain and decrease her or his ability to cope with it. Often, treating the depression treats the pain as well.

Chronic pain is pain that lasts beyond the expected time for healing and interferes with normal life. The injury has healed, but the pain continues. The pain message may be triggered by muscle tension, stiffness, weakness, or spasms. Whatever the cause of chronic pain, feelings of frustration, anger, and fear can make the pain more intense. Chronic pain can affect all areas of your life and should be taken seriously.

The following information provides those who have chronic pain with an overview of different options for pain management. If you have chronic pain and need help managing it, you may wish to discuss these options with your doctor.

Coping Strategies: Physical Methods of Pain Management

Heat and ice: Heat, in the form of warm showers or hot packs, can relieve chronic pain or stiff muscles. Cold packs or ice packs provide pain relief by numbing the pain-sensing nerves in the affected area. Cold also helps reduce swelling and inflammation. Depending on which feels better, apply heat or cold for 15 to 20 minutes at a time to the area where you feel the pain. To protect your skin, place a towel between your skin and the source of the cold or heat. Some simple ways to make heat and ice packs are listed below:

• Warm towels or hot packs in the microwave for a quick source of heat. (Handle carefully.)
• Make instant cold packs from frozen juice cans or bags of frozen vegetables.
• Freeze a plastic, resealable bag filled with water to make a good ice bag.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): A TENS machine is a small device that sends electrical impulses to certain parts of the body to block pain signals. Two electrodes are placed on the body where you are experiencing pain. The electrical current that is produced is very mild, but it can prevent pain messages from being transmitted to the brain. Pain relief can last for several hours. Some people may use a small, portable TENS unit that hooks onto a belt for more continuous relief. TENS machines should only be used under the supervision of a physician or physical therapist. They can be purchased or rented from hospital supply or surgical supply houses; however, a prescription is necessary for insurance reimbursement.