My mother, 74, fell in the stairs and fractured her vertebrae in 2 spots. shes still in the same amount of pain as she was three weeks ago when this happened. she takes oxycodone when she cant tolerate it. how many weeks until she will feel better?

These are long haul fractures causing significant pain from 6 to 12 weeks. Serial xrays every month or more shows how much healing is occurring. Unfortunately the healed vertebrae end up deformed which can cause chronic back issues. Mobility as soon as severe pain wears off is helpful for recovery. An orthopedic specialist should follow her to direct physical therapy & look for any complications

As we age, it takes far longer to heal, and as mentioned, your Mother may take many more weeks to improve. Depending on the degree of vertebral damage, a vertebroplasty procedure may be of value. See a spine specialist.