My lumbar feels compressed from the side when I breath

When they say a spinal compression fracture has "healed," I think it is misleading. Compression fractures are not reversible. They stabilize, but the change to the structure of your spine remains.

I have fractures of L1 and L5. As well as thoracic fractures. If I raise my arms and reach, or even if I do tai chi involving raising my arms, I also get a sensation of ribs compressing breathing, that lasts a few days. Don't know if that is the same.

I have been seeing an orthopedist who is not a surgeon. Very helpful. And I go to PT for massage. I hope you find an answer.

Thank you for the input! The feeling of compression I feel is constantly there when I breath and also is making speaking difficult, I feel something stuck under the rib when I try to speak with force, so it definitely doesn`t feel like something should be happening. When I apply a force to that rib, I can feel something on the lumbar feels discomfort and "compressed", and the location does seem to correspond with the old L2 fracture.

I have been thinking about kyphoplasty but I have no idea if it would help in my case, and many doctors don`t want to do it on an old fracture it seems.

I was told there was a window of time for kyphoplasty.

I have had that sensation and it seems to be either muscle or GI. Is it possible it is gas in your GI system?

Mine goes away so although I have mentioned this sensation I have never pursued it.

If the pressure in on one side it seems unlikely to be from the fracture itself. I have so many muscle spasms on the level of my fractures so that might explain what happens to me. Hope someone helps you!

Nah its not my GI system. That was the first thing my doctor suggested, but I am certain the discomfort came from the lumbar area, whether it is the bones or the soft tissues I don`t know. It is a sensation that never goes away in my case, it feels like the norm now that this part of the spine feels compressed, so I have to pursue for an answer.

I can understand how the compression fracture could cause that. I have come to believe my sensations are from the muscles coping with a shortened spine, but who knows. Internal organs have less room too! Hope you get an answer and a treatment!

@thutmosechen You certainly may have a condition of tight muscles as your doctors have suggested. It's very common for us to develop patterns of tightness in our bodies from our posture, activities, and any injuries that affect us. I happen to have tightness through one side of my body and it does affect the expansion of my rib cage and one side doesn't move as much.

What helps this is to have a specially trained physical therapist release the tightness. This lets the body move again as it should, releases dehydrated tissue that is stuck, allows fluids to circulate again, and it can relieve pain that is caused by the tightness. My PT has released my respiratory diaphragm before which helps me breathe. I have tightness in my shoulders that can pull the first rib upward, and it gets stuck, so that changes how I breathe. and I have tight fascia between the lower rib cage and my pelvis that she works on. I have thoracic outlet syndrome, and it does affect breathing.

Here are a few links, about TOS, and our discussion about myofascial release therapy.

- Neuropathy - "Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
Thoracic outlet syndrome
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-outlet-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353988
J Manipulative Physiol Therapy

. 2020 Jul-Aug;43(6):606-611.
doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2019.10.006. Epub 2020 Aug 21.

"Respiratory Dysfunction in Individuals With Thoracic Outlet Syndrome "
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32829949/
Does this sound like something you want to explore? It is hard to find a specialist who understands TOS, but you can find doctors who treat this condition at larger medical centers such as Mayo that list Thoracic Outlet Syndrome as a condition on their website that they treat. Therapy for TOS is usually long term.

Thank you for the input. I did read about Thoracic Outlet Syndrome when I searched online about conditions involding ribs. I used to believe something is stuck underneath my rib as that is how my brain seems to interpret the pain but now I`ve realized that it might have been a mistake. Even though my rib seems to trigger the pain somehow, it is a point in my lumbar region that feels the compression sensation and it gets really really uncomfortable when I try to breath or speak in certain ways. If it is indeed a muscle problem then it is probably psoas based on the location, but I also want to figure out if a condition on the lumbar is causing this. I wonder if my old compression fracture still leave some degree of instability there and cause this sensation.

One other strange thing. While I certainly have muscle spasms from my compression fractures, there is also a lot going on in my neck. I had a lidocaine injection at the base of my skull, left side addressing the occipital nerve. The next day I had severe pain and a severe sensation of restriction all the way down my back, arm and rib cage, all on my left side. It felt as if the restriction in my back was pulling on my ribs. I don't understand this, but somehow that injection set this all off.

I have come to the conclusion that the muscle spasms may come from the compression fractures, from my neck (cervical spine) and/or from my brain. I have seen neuro, ortho and PT and am seeing rheumatology as well. At this point I am not exploring an answer but am just doing whatever helps the pain and restriction.

Have you seen a PT? A good PT always seems to be of the most help- massage, ultrasound and exercises. My PT is also unsure of the cause and we have just proceeded to treat and manage regardless.