The most common location for an osteoporosis-related fracture to occur is the vertebrae.

These painful back injuries can occur while engaging in everyday actions, such as bending over or lifting groceries. With very advanced osteoporosis, a sneeze or cough could cause vertebral fracture. In some cases, the breaks are so debilitating routine tasks may be impossible, and the resulting inactivity can open the door for other serious medical problems.

Fortunately, treatment for vertebral fractures is a quickly advancing field, and patients have far more options than they did a decade ago. For many doctors the first step is to prescribe medication. Calcitonin (Miacalcin), a hormone which reduces the breakdown of bone, may help reduce pain.

Narcotic pain relievers are usually not considered because they could increase the chance of a fall, a dangerous prospect for someone with brittle bones. In addition, physicians recommend a back brace, although compliance can be irregular.

In some cases, the pain from the fractures will subside on its own. When extreme discomfort persists, however, and interferes with daily living, more definitive treatment measures may be considered.

In March, researchers in Italy announced that percutaneous vertebroplasty, the oldest and most widely practiced procedure for the stabilization of fractured vertebrae, have overwhelmingly positive results. During this procedure, real-time X-ray guides a doctor to the exact location of the fracture, where he or she uses a needle to inject medical-grade cement through the skin directly into the fracture.

A five-year study tracked 884 patients who had a total of nearly 4,000 fractures repaired. More than 95 percent of patients reported that their pain decreased after the procedure. Reports of poor quality of life dropped from 69 to less than 19 percent.

"Vertebroplasty is safe and it works," Dr. Giovanni Anselmetti, an interventional radiologist at the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment in Turin, Italy, wrote in an email discussing his research, which he plans to publish later this year. "If the patient has back pain regression usually he could dismiss brace support, he does not need pain-killers anymore, and he is able to do by himself the daily life activities again."

Bone cement is harder than bone itself, and there is some controversy over whether that difference contributes to new adjacent fractures. Subsequent vertebral fractures are common after the first, whether or not a patient undergoes vertebroplasty, so this remains under discussion among experts.

Another recent study has indicated that a repeat vertebroplasty may help if the first one didn't relieve pain.

During kyphoplasty, a balloon pushes the bones back to their proper height before inserting the cement. The goal is to help correct kyphosis, or a hunched back. A number of studies have indicated that vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are comparable to one another in terms of potential benefits and adverse effects.