Breathing with spinal fractures

[Alice70]

My breathing has got so much worse this last 12 months I was putting it down to constant bloating ,this time last year I fratured my spine in three places due to osteoporosis which I didn't know I had besides the pain it corsed me to loose 2inches in height, going through a osteoporosis booklet last night I came across how loosing height can corse breathing and stomache problems it described exactly how I'm feeling more breathless bloated and a feeling of squashed stomache ,sitting here this morning I am wondering what in the heck can I do about this ,I am also four weeks recovering from hip replacement and should be doing more walking than I am but can't because of breathing, I don't surpose this has happened to anyone else ,but any advice would be so appreciated thanks for listening to my woes I just don't know where to turn to

[Swizzy]

Hi Alice. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis this year. A bit late as I have lost considerable height and aquired a 'hump'. I have 4 fractured bones in my back.Also I find that my bones pressing on my diaphram makes it seem that I do not breathe properly. Even my sats drop if I sit leaning back in a chair. I have a book of osteoporosis exercises but they concentrate on arms and legs. I have found that doing gentle stretching exercises of my upper body helps me to open my lungs and breathe better. It also increases the sats and eases the pain in my back and ribs considerably. The osteoporosis society.have a lot of good information but as always having bronch I have concluded that I had to find a way to help myself. I hope that you might find this useful.

[Alice70 in reply to Swizzy]

Yes Swizzy this does help thank you only thing is I'm abit held back from doing anymore exercises at the moment ,I am finding it differcult to do my hip exercises at the moment but ofcorse I will bare what you say for future

[Swizzy in reply to Alice70]

Yes it's very difficult. I had the top broken off my femur when a physio tripped me up when I was already in hospital for 12 wks last year. Those exercises are tedious and wear me out so I really appreciate how you feel. I do my stretching exercises sitting in a chair. I very gently and slowly lift my arms and bend to the sides then raise them in front of me and move them to one side then the other. Only once or twice at a time. It seems to lift my bones away from my lumgs, stomach and diaphram so that I can.take a breath easier.

[knitter]

I fractured two vertebrae about ten years ago , arthritis set in , so moving is painful . Fractured ribs too.

I have osteoporosis, lost height , and the space between my ribs and pelvis seems to have shrunk …so squashed stomach .

It doesn’t help that I slouch either , as it’s less painful for my back .

I used to do a lot of yoga , but worried now I could make things worse .

Trying meditation again for back pain …

[Alice70 in reply to knitter]

I to slouch have a curve in my spine I can see now how it affects lungs and stomache as if we haven't gotvenough to contend with ,I do have osteoarthritis and rheaumatiod thank goodness I haven't got it in spine as jet