Good evening @debja. A big welcome to Connect. I see you all already touching base with other members having similar issues and decisions to make. I can offer some current experience for you and hope it will help. By the way.....the mission of Connect is to improve the quality of life of every member.

So let me start by saying that I am currently battling what is probably an IT Band irregularity. This is the second one I have had and the first one on my left side. So.....I am trying MFR (myofascial release therapy) for several weeks and it is slowly becoming less painful. These IT bands are composed of some heavy-duty Fascia that is stretched during exercise especially when we overdo it and overuse the muscles. It does take time to release the fascia material. Along with MFR Yoga stretches every morning, application of ice several times a day, and medication that will help control the pain. seem to be the most frequently suggested solutions for pain and discomfort. Have you used medical cannabis for helping with pain? I use both a tincture and a topical when needed.

Please tell me more about your compression fracture injury. Did you have surgery? In a post a couple of lines above yours, @jenniferhunter discusses her mother's issues with a compression fracture and her experience with osteoporosis. I hope she will be able to respond to your request for some help with specific options for your continued pain.

May you be free, protected ad safe from inner and outer harm.
Chris

@debja My fellow Mentor, Chris @artscaping mentioned your post to me. I'll answer your question about mentors. We are also members on this forum and have been asked by Mayo to help facilitate discussions because of the track record in helping others and the compassion and quality of our responses. Moderators are Mayo employees, and mentors are volunteers. As mentors, we help each other and help direct responses to other members toward a post if they have experience in that type of situation. I am a spine surgery patient, but also have experience with health issues for family members, so I can engage in different topics. Both Chris and I are believers in Myofascial Release Physical therapy because we have gotten good results from it personally.

My physical therapist has had me roll on a foam roller for tight IT bands, and she has done myofascial release on my legs too. Some of this got more complicated because I fractured my ankle a couple years ago which changes everything when you start walking differently because of weakness or pain. I also have a pelvis that sometimes slips out of alignment and that causes back and sciatic pain. It is common for this type of pelvis dysfunction to mimic a spine problem because of muscles that connect the pelvis and the spine. These imbalances tend to create overly tight muscles and muscle spasms that restrict movement.

Here is a link that explains a lot of possible issues. It is very technical and written for physical therapists.
https://mskneurology.com/identify-treat-lumbar-plexus-compression-syndrome-lpcs/
You should direct your questions about your Evenity injections to your doctor. There are lots of reasons for muscle tightness, particularly as we age and you can't draw a correlation between muscle tightness and Evenity injections. Please do not let any post here influence your decision to stop a medication. Talk to some one who is trained to answer that question, namely, your doctor or pharmacist. We are just patients like you, and not qualified to give medical advice. All we can do is share our experience and learn from each other.

My 92 year old mom has just started Evenity injections that will go for a year. She has severe osteoporosis and had a spontaneous compression fracture of her spine, and she remains at very high risk for that to happen again. For now, she is living on her own, but if more fractures were to happen, that could change in a hurry. The best way to prevent that situation is to prevent it as best you can with the help and advice of your doctors. Because of the severe osteoporosis, she was not a candidate to have the bones cemented back together, and she had a back brace and spent time in rehab. Her spine isn't in great shape either with vertebrae that slip past each other. Luckily, she is not in pain because of her spine, but it has healed into a kyophosis curve of 43 degrees that is permanent now, so she can't stand up straight if she wanted to. The spine surgeon said if she was a younger person with a 43 degree curve, surgery would be indicated, but since she has no pain and at her age, it is best left alone.

It's great that you are staying active and doing a lot of stretching. I think that is a key to staying young.. I'm guessing Chris may have shared our MFR discussion, but I will share it again.

Here's the discussion on myofacial release therapy…

> Groups > Neuropathy > Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain
— https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

There is a provider search at http://mfrtherapists.com/

Did you have any questions about my mom's experience with osteoporosis and bone fractures?