At the end of March 2026 I found out that I had six fractured vertebrae. My recent dexa scan shows that I have severe osteoporosis. A few days ago I saw a consultant who went through some options for my pain relief and treatment. I am now waiting for her to contact my GP to change my pain relief. At the moment I am barely able to get out of the house because of the pain. I’m feeling very lonely and scared with the diagnosis. I just wondered if anyone else has felt the same and has any advice for me.
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Hi there, I completely understand how you are feeling Panda. I have had a total of 7 vertebral fractures, the first one at age 59 and my DEXA showed a bone density of -4.4 so in the severe category. The pain initially following each fracture was unbelievable and for me the recovery time was months not weeks each time. It felt a very lonely place to be and I looked round at friends of a similar age and thought ‘why me’! But it’s that old adage, ‘why not me’. In terms of pain I am now more or less pain free and haven’t broken anything in over 18 months. I can move freely and most days feel more or less back to ‘normal’ I have however lost almost 4 inches in height and my body shape has changed. My torso is quite compressed so I feel my waistline has gone which is depressing as I’ve always been a slim size 10 with a neat waistline. I’ve had to have strong words with myself and tell myself that I need to accept this new me as I cannot change it. I make a huge effort to dress in things that are flattering to my new shape (not always easy) and continue to make sure my hair and makeup are all done so that I still feel good about myself and am the best version of myself that I can possibly be. It’s not always easy and I still have down days but I’m determined to try and fight through those harder days. Because my Osteoporosis is in the severe range and my potential risk for further fractures was very high, I was started on Evenity (Romosozumab) to build new bone. I’m four months in to a 12 month course and so far seem to be tolerating it very well. For me the ROS has been a Godsend. The helpline nurses are amazing and certainly helped me in the early days of my diagnosis. Also just realising you are not alone in this by sharing our stories is for me really important.
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Hi Piglet, thank you so much for replying to my post. It was lovely to hear your story and how you are now living a normal life with osteoporosis. I am in so much pain at the moment and my life has gone from being so active to now doing very little. I’m finding this very difficult to deal with. Your story has given me a glimmer of hope. As I didn’t know anyone else who has severe osteoporosis, hearing from someone who has the same condition as me has made me feel a little less lonely. Thank you again.
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Hello Panda. I totally understand how you must be feeling at the moment. My journey is very similar to Piglets and by reaching out to this community you will find that you are not alone. I found by using distracting it helped with not focussing on the pain. I took pain relief for a brief period but then attended chronic pain coaching sessions. This is very similar to the NHS retraining your brain where you learn to manage pain by switching it off. Yes this is a fact and although I have to say in the beginning I was very sceptical it has worked for me. Using techniques to distract helps to lessen pain because you are not focussing on it. I also started to think more positively into what I could do (no matter how small) as opposed to what I could no longer do. Little by little I build up my strength. I attended a gentle exercise group. Do guided meditation which again helps so much with pain relief. I had a long wait to see a consultant (72 weeks) and was continuing to fracture whilst I was waiting for this. Eventually I saw the Consultant, had Evenity for 1 year and now on Zolendronic infusions. My bone density has significantly improved and although I know I will never be the same am no longer looking back at what I could do. I do not take any pain relief, apart from paracetamol occasionally but now feel I am in control of my life again. I know it might seem like a long time for you but it is early days. They say fractures take about 6 weeks to heal. No they don’t they we are all different and spinal fractures never heal in same position as they were before you fractured. This in itself throws up lots of problems and pain. For me, along with the fractures it was several displaced discs, trapped nerves and the body having to re-adjust to it’s new shape. There is light at the end of the tunnel but I can’t pretend that it is easy or will happen quickly but you are on the right journey and so many of us understand just how very hard it is for you at this time.
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Hi 28Harvey28, thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. Your story, like Piglets, has given me a glimmer of hope. Yesterday was such a grim day for me. I was in a lot of pain and feeling very distressed. I’m so glad that I reached out to this community.. I was very shocked to hear you had to wait 72 weeks to see a consultant. I only waited 9 weeks. But previously to that I hadn’t been taken very seriously by my GP surgery over several visits taking 4 months before they eventually sent me for X rays.
I am very interested in the pain coaching sessions but haven’t found one in my area yet. I couldn’t travel far at the moment anyway due my pain. Thank you once again.
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Hi Panda,
I understand how overwhelmed you must be feeling just now. You are also living with a lot of pain . The news of your new diagnosis is a traumatic experience for the nervous system. I know how lonely it can feel as I’m currently going through this myself. This community has been a life line. I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis in March at the age of 50 . I have two vertebral fractures and nerve compression in my left neck and shoulder with limited capacity in my left arm. My Rheumatologist has been amazingly attentive and has ensure that I get the chance to start Romosumozab very soon. I’m seeing an orthopaedic surgeon on Monday with a view to getting help with the nerve compression caused by the breakages. I’ve been in pain and not really been out of the house for 5 months but I’m now beginning to recover . I’m feeling positive that life will get back to normal soon and you should too. Yes there will be changes and adjustments to the way that you do things but this should not stop you leading a normal life and doing all the things you love doing. My Rheumatologist stated this to me many times. I hope that you get all the answers you need quickly, that your pain reduces very soon and that you can stay positive. Warm wishes, Alison
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Hi Alison, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post. Through this community I’m beginning to realise that there are many people who have been in a similar situation to mine. It gives me hope to hear that you are starting to recover. Although I am in a bleak place at the moment as I am still awaiting a treatment plan and better pain relief. I hope that one day I will feel a bit more like you.do. I hope you continue to make progress.
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Hi Panda, it’s a club none of us wants to belong to 
I feel my experience so far has been one of different stages. At first the pain from the vertebral fractures was so excruciating I couldn’t think beyond the diagnosis as I was trying to just get through each day…and night dealing with the pain. It’s so true that no one else can see your pain and unless they’ve been there no amount of explanation can truly portray what it’s like. I was literally surviving on strong pain killers and marking time until I could take the next 4 hourly dose. I couldn’t sleep as I couldn’t get in bed and if I did achieve it I couldn’t move, had to stay in one position and then couldn’t get out again. I had the same problem getting onto and off the sofa and walking was causing spasms in my back that were like nothing I’d ever experience. At that point I didn’t think beyond being pain free which in my case was many months until I felt the familiar pop and excruciating pain again signalling yet another fracture. Now I’m almost 18 months since my last fracture and am for the most part pain free. I have now entered the stage of trying to come to terms with the implications of this condition. The loss of height, changing body shape and extreme fear of falling even though my fractures weren’t caused by falls and the never ending sense of bewilderment at why this has happened to me. Now I’m on Evenity I am finally starting to lose some of the fear of further fractures but I still find myself looking at other women in shops, restaurants etc and thinking their posture is normal so it doesn’t look like they have got this condition but who really knows. Ive told myself I need to stop focussing on the negatives and work hard on making sure that I can have the best outcome from what isn’t the best diagnosis and try to live life to the full. One very positive thing is that I’ve told my ‘overly cautious with money’ hubby that as we never know what is around the corner we have to grab opportunities when we can and that we need to holiday, holiday, holiday whilst I’m physically in a much better place! 
Having come out the other side of spinal fractures I can say it really will get much better than it is now. Stay strong 
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Nice to hear from you again Piglet. Your description of trying to sleep at night is exactly like my own experience. I’ve spoken to quite a few doctors about this and none of them appreciate how painful and difficult it is. As the stiffness is so severe my husband and I have taken to setting an alarm clock for one hour of sleep. It’s still difficult to get out of bed without his help. After walking around for twenty minutes I am able to go back to bed and set the alarm for another hour of sleep. And so we repeat several times during the night. We are both absolutely shattered. But previously we were hardly getting any sleep at all. And now we get about 4 hours sleep albeit in 4 x 1 hour blocks.
It is lovely to hear that you are now able to go on holiday and enjoy your life again. It gives me hope that one day I will be able to do this myself.
I still waiting for improved pain relief, which the consultant hopes will help with the stiffness..
Take care.
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I really feel for you and your husband. Lack of sleep alone is enough to make you depressed. It’s particularly bad being I pain in the night as it’s the time when you feel most alone as if the world is sleeping and you are not. I was referred at one point to the orthopedic surgeons but they couldn’t do anything as they said things such as Kyphoplasty to put cement in the vertebrae to strengthen them would have put pressure on the vertebrae either side and possibly fracture them did reassure me that the bones would eventually heal and the pain would go. I couldn’t imagine that would ever happen but it has and it will for you too. The difference it makes to be rid of that pain cannot be imagined but you’ll get there honestly. I found co-codamol to be good for my pain but beware that Codeine causes constipation and no-one with a broken back wants to be straining 
I had a large stock of Senna in the cupboard! You take care too x
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Hi Piglet, thanks for your post. You’re right, night time is a lonely place when you are in pain and don’t sleep. I didn’t get on very well with co- codamol. The Rheumatologist has now suggested some different pain relief to my GP, so I hope that works for me.
Take care.
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One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to pain relief. Codeine is a funny one as it’s a great pain killer but doesn’t suit everyone and makes some people feel really unwell. Hope the medication your Rheumatologist suggests works well for you and I really hope that your pain is soon under control and you get some better sleep or even some sleep at all! Take care
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You are dealing with a lot of pain and the physical effects of the fractures. Hopefully this will improve over the coming months - for me it took about 6 months for the pain to gradually subside to a point where I only need to take pain relief occasionally (I suspect we adjust to living with some pain). I do think the psychological effects of being diagnosed with OP are not realised by a lot of people. The change in my shape, loss of height, and fear of falling (even though it wasn’t a fall that caused my spinal fractures) have taken a toll on my confidence and how I feel about myself. I am still adjusting to it all - I think I need to have the same strong words to myself as Piglet!
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Hi Jax, thank you for replying to my post.I had such a painful day yesterday, it was lovely to wake up to a new message.
Although my pain is my main problem at the moment, I think you are right about people not being aware of the psychological effects of being diagnosed with osteoporosis. I am finding it difficult to come to terms with my loss of height and my changing shape.
It does help to hear from people who are further along the " journey" than myself. It makes me feel less alone and gives me hope.So thank you so much for taking the time to reply.
I too am in a similar situation, fell downstairs at the beginning of March and have been in excruciating pain ever since. I was told I hadn’t fractured anything but my ribs are missing shapen and i have a small hump on my back. The pain is now beginning to ease slightly, ive only been getting about 4 hours sleep most nights. but last night I slept through until 6,50.
I’ve never been referred to a rheumatologist and my GP isn’t interested. Have been taking co codamol, but trying to cut back. The worst part is the change in shape and my clothes don’t fit properly any more. I feel like a very old lady. Good luck with your journey, rest assured you are not alone
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Hi Littleredhead, thank you for replying to my post. I’m so pleased to hear that your pain is decreasing a little. My GP surgery have made several mistakes with me. The main problem is that I never see/speak to the same person twice. In fact I have spoken to or seen 12 different doctors since my back pain started in November 2025. So there is no continuity. I was lucky in that eventually I was referred to a Rheumatologist who took me very seriously. Now I have a letter from her explaining the next steps. But there is no response from the GP to change my medication to her recommendation. It is very frustrating. The sooner you can persuade your GP to refer you to a Rheumatologist the better as some areas have a very long wait. Also to have DEXA scan if you haven’t already had one. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I hope you get the right treatment soon.
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Hi Panda and Piglet
The experience you have both had with vertebral fractures is so familiar to me. I smashed up my shoulder in a bad fall last year and it was while I was trying to recover from the fracture that I caused several vertebral fractures by trying to sit up and get out of bed without using my arms (because I couldn’t!). I didn’t know what was happening with all that pain and I found I could only manage bits of sleep by using a garden reclining chair that would lift me up easily when I put my feet down without putting strain on my back. It wasn’t until months later that I had a dexa scan and a diagnosis of osteoporosis, but no offer of a spinal x-ray to check for fractures! I’ve had to fight all the way to get any further investigations. I think without this wonderful organisation I would have crumbled. Thank you to all involved and best wishes to all of us in this situation. Carole
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You have the right to ask for a GP of your choice. My surgery has a named GP system, don’t know if all have. If you don’t like your named GP you can ask to change. My GP only works as a GP 1 day a week. She is great and I know I won’t get a quick appointment but it’s worth waiting. Clearly if there is a different non OA related health issue you don’t have to wait for your named GP.