Usually, fractures are very painful and hard to miss. There is deep pain and tenderness around the site of the fracture.

However, some fractures of the spine may not cause pain. Symptoms include:

• Getting shorter.
• Changing body shape. The upper back may stick out in a “widow’s hump” (kyphosis).
• Pain when standing and sitting.
• Pain that travels to neighboring areas of the body.

These may signal compression fractures of the bones in your back. Diagnosis may only happen with an x-ray.

Last Updated December 2022