Dr. Fulghum’s Bare Back Facts

  1. As people age, back pain and loss of height may be due to thinning of the discs.
  2. A physical therapist does the greatest good for people with back pain by breaking bad habits of posture and poor movement patterns.
  3. When anti-inflammatory medicines, muscles relaxers, walking and/or exercises are instituted immediately, episodes of back pain due to a sprained muscle usually lasts no longer than six weeks.
  4. A sprained back and ruptured disc may produce similar symptoms, but the sprain usually heals within six weeks.
  5. Ruptured, slipped and herniated discs are the same things.
  6. A patient with a ruptured disc in the neck or back may have a normal spinal X-ray but will usually have an abnormal MRI scan.
  7. A ruptured disc or bone spur requires surgery only if the severe pain and weakness persists despite conservative measures such as medication, exercise and steroid injections.
  8. Very few people with ruptured discs require surgery.
  9. Sitting increases pressure in the lower back discs five times more than standing does.
  10. The first back operation is the most important.
  11. After lumbar disc surgery, most people return to their former level of activity within six weeks.
  12. People who smoke usually have back pain for longer periods.
  13. Women are not the only ones to get osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is preventable in both men and women when diagnosis is made early enough.

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Osteoporosis Information & Clinics

What is Osteoporosis?

Photo of a young woman helping an older woman walk throug a park.

Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time, causing bones to become weak and more likely to break. Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone or when the body reabsorbs too much old bone. A person with osteoporosis can break a bone from a minor fall, a sneeze or even bumping into furniture.

Osteoporosis can sneak up on you.

People can’t feel their bones getting weaker. A person can have osteoporosis and not know it. Many people learn that they have the disease only after they break a bone. Fortunately, a bone density test can help you learn if you have osteoporosis or are at risk of developing the disease. You can then take the necessary steps to prevent osteoporosis and broken bones!

Osteoporosis is common.

Ten million Americans already have been diagnosed with the disease. Nearly 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is serious.

Breaking a bone is serious. Hip, spine and wrist breaks are the most common osteoporosis-related breaks, but it can weaken any bone in your body. Broken bones in the spine can cause a person to become shorter or cause the spine to start to curve forward making it hard to stand up straight. Broken and fractured hips can cause you to lose the ability to walk or even take care of yourself. And wrist fractures can keep you from doing the simplest of daily tasks.


Carolina Back Osteoporosis Clinic

Logo for National Osteoporosis Foundation Professional Partners Network

Carolina Back Institute is a member of the National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Professional Partners Network®

Knowing all we do about osteoporosis, it is important that we stay educated about the disease and do what we can to help prevent it!

Carolina Back Institute will be hosting Osteoporosis Clinics every Monday at the Cary location. These will be by appointment only so please call us TODAY!

What you will be able to receive:

  • Blood work ordered
  • Weight bearing exercises
  • Nutrition facts
  • Multiple other facts and tools to help prevent and deal with osteoporosis

The physicians at Carolina Back Institute recognized the need to provide better management of bone health due to the consistent increase in the Osteoporosis patient population nationally and within the Carolina Back practices. Our Osteoporosis Clinic was launched to help patients aggressively work to prevent fractures from the start. And for patients who’ve already experienced osteoporosis-related fractures, we’ll help them develop habits and therapies for better bone health to prevent future fractures. A referral is not required. If patient has any concerns about their bone health they should call (888) 977.BACK (2225) for a consult today.

If you have any questions about osteoporosis or other related concerns, please call Carolina Back at (888) 977.BACK (2225).