posture is very severe, the nerves of the spine can become compressed, which can cause
severe back pain. The head being forward from stooping also places extra stress on the
neck muscles and can cause neck pain.
A compression fracture of the vertebra can cause acute and/or chronic pain in the upper
back. For women over age 50 with complaints of upper back pain, a vertebral
compression fracture due to osteoporosis should always be considered.
Osteoporosis is diagnosed by measuring the bone mineral density. Bone mineral density
tests (BMD) shows how dense bones are. The BMD is measured with a dual energy x-ray
absorptiometry test (referred to as a DXA scan). It measures people’s spine, hip or total
body bone density to help gauge fracture risk.
Piriformis syndrome
A less common cause of sciatica is Piriformis syndrome. The piriformis is a muscle
located in the buttocks below the gluteus maximus. The sciatic nerve runs beneath the
piriformis muscle. When the muscle shortens or spasms due to trauma or overuse, it can
compress or strangle the sciatic nerve beneath it.