Cracked vertebrae

Hey everyone!

A young guy I know was in a car accident about a week ago. He ended up with a fractured vertebra—I think it was somewhere around T12 in his thoracic spine. The doctors gave him this brace that he has to wear around his torso for four weeks.

The problem is, the brace is giving him terrible chafing and skin irritation right on his hips. No matter how much he adjusts it, it either pinches him or feels too loose... honestly, he feels way better without it, but he’s required to wear it.

To make matters worse, he’s incredibly stubborn. He keeps taking it off and insisting he isn't going to deal with this thing for a full month.

I wanted to ask: are there any specific supplements, like high-dose calcium or something similar, that can help speed up bone healing? Or maybe some low-impact exercises he could do that won't put too much stress on his spine?

I'd really appreciate any advice you guys might have...

Thanks! 👋

Anonymous said:So, look—he’s incredibly stubborn... he keeps pushing back and insisting he isn't going to wear it for the full four weeks.

genius 😍

Yeah, sure, there are plenty of pills out there, but none of them work on the stubborn, irrational, self-sabotaging types...

And I've got exercises too, but he just won't be bothered to actually do them... 👎

Rachel Brooks63 said:What a 😍

Look, there are plenty of pills out there, but they aren't going to work on someone who's stubborn, refuses to see the facts, and is basically wired for self-destruction.

And yeah, therapy exists, too—he just isn't willing to put in the work. 👎

Honestly, if I give him a little bit of tough love, he might actually listen... 😍

I can't bring myself to give up on him, even though it’s absolutely draining my mental health. I just know he'll thank me for sticking by him one day.

So, if you have any advice... I’d really appreciate it... 😳

Anonymous said:So, if you can give me any advice... I’d really appreciate it... 😳

wellllllll, my advice? he needs to just listen to his doctors—seriously—unless he wants to spend the rest of his youth stuck in a wheelchair...

and as for you forgetting about the calcium pills... look, if those things could actually cure him, they wouldn't be telling him to stop wearing stuff that's bothering him for four weeks straight... 🙂

Rachel Brooks63 said:Look, my advice? He needs to actually listen to his doctors. If he doesn't want to spend the rest of his youth in a wheelchair, he really needs to follow their lead.

And as for you suggesting he just forget about the calcium supplements—if those pills were some kind of magic cure, they wouldn't be telling him not to carry anything heavy that irritates the area for four weeks.🙂

Regarding the discomfort he's feeling, he has massive bursitis in his hips, so I totally get why he can't deal with constant pressure 24/7...

I'm fully aware that supplements aren't a cure-all... I guess I just held onto this little bit of hope that it might help speed up the healing process.😢

Anonymous said:Regarding what he's complaining about—man, those pressure sores on his hips are seriously bad. I totally get why he can't deal with wearing that thing 24/7...

So, did he actually show those sores to the doctor who prescribed the brace in the first place? Like, did they even tell him those sores were fine to just ignore?

Rachel Brooks63 said:Did he actually go back to his doctor to show them those fat pads after they prescribed the brace? Did they tell him everything was fine with them?

No, we just noticed it today when he took it off. Anyway, I'll make sure we check in with the doctor to see if it's an issue. Thanks!

Same thing happened to me, except I cracked four vertebrae. I’m rocking a brace too (probably the same one your boyfriend has) since it’s the thoracic spine. Been wearing it for 7 weeks now. Feeling totally fine. Only take it off to sleep. If there's chafing, they didn't fit him right. He needs to go back to where he got it and have them tweak it. There's no other way to heal this. And seriously, zero exercises until those vertebrae are healed, then his ortho will tell him when physical therapy is cool. He better not mess around if he actually wants to get better.