Spondylolisthesis

[BIG-K Member Find all posts View Profile Close BIG-K]

So I found out today this is what's still wrong with my back.


Spinal instability: abnormal movement between two vertebrae that can cause pain or damage the spinal cord and nerves.

Spinal instability
Spinal instability is the excessive motion between vertebrae caused by stretched or torn ligaments and broken bone. Abnormal slipping and rubbing motions can cause pain and damage the spinal nerves or spinal cord. Stable fractures can usually be treated with bracing and rest. Unstable fractures usually require surgery to realign the bones and prevent spinal cord or nerve injury.
Spondylolisthesis is the medical term used to describe the forward slippage (anterior translation or displacement) of one spine bone (vertebrae) on another


Treatment
The treatment of adult patients with spondylolysis and/or Spondylolisthesis depends on the severity of the pain, nerve compression, and slippage. Nearly all patients are recommended for conservative treatment initially unless there is a severe neurologic deficit such as leg weakness and numbness. Physical therapy, chiropractic care and oral medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications, and muscle relaxant medications) are frequently prescribed. Epidural steroid injections and/or nerve root blocks may also be utilized for severe pain or moderate pain that is no longer responding to other conservative measures. Patients who fail these conservative measures are usually candidates for surgical intervention.
The recommended surgery for adults with spondylolysis and/or Spondylolisthesis who have failed nonoperative measures is spinal fusion. The goal of surgery is to stabilize the levels of the spine that are "slipping" by placing bone graft and metal rods/screws (instrumentation). Adult patients with significant stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal due to bone spurs) generally require laminectomy and decompression, whereas children do not. The instrumentation fixes and holds the bones in place immediately, while the bone graft fuses (mends) the unstable spine bones together. After the fusion surgery is performed, it takes approximately 4-8 months for the fusion to "take" and the bones to solidly mend together. Prior to using metal instrumentation, patients were often required to be placed in body cast for 8 months to help the fusion mend. Nowadays, most patients are recommended to wear only a small plastic brace or soft corset, if anything, for 2-3 months after surgery to help the fusion solidify. The success rate for patients undergoing surgery is very high, and there are new minimally invasive surgery techniques that have been developed to allow patients to have an even faster recovery.

[mbig245 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mbig245]

I wish you the best buddy!! You'll be back stronger than ever..

[BIG-K Member Find all posts View Profile Close BIG-K]

Thanks brother I am just glad I know what it is now.

[mbig245 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mbig245]

How did it happen? Years of heavy lifts?

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

i have also the problem of cervical n spine.i m not well.wts the best treatment for that

not this forum? go see a doctor?

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

Well you're gonna wanna do xrays. Then see an osteopath, that is if your xrays are favorable for that kinda treatment. Surgery is the last resort one should do.

[orangetoes Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close orangetoes]

Symptoms may include stiffness and pain in the lower back, tightness in the muscles along the backs of the thighs and sometimes pain in the buttocks and thighs. In some cases there's no symptoms at all.

[timguinness Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timguinness]

A couple of years back I had the same thing going on. Several herniated disks and spinal stenosis. The 3mm "toggle" that I had between L5-S1 did require surgery. From what I understand, that's really the only solution that will keep it from getting worse. The outcome was wonderful, however. Only about 6 weeks of physical therapy and another couple months of light duty, with minimal pain. I followed doc's instructions to the letter. You can't get ahead of yourself, no matter how good you feel. You'll just end up worse. The other problem area, unfortunately, was C4-C5-C6-C7. Any injury to the cervical spine is much more touchy. I had severe stenosis and advancing myelomalasia (softening of the spinal cord) as a result of not dealing with it when I was young. Now there is really nothing they can do, short of extensive surgery, which I can't undertake at this point in my life. The nerve damage I allowed to happen can never be reversed. I wear as Aspen Vista TX collar whenever I'm just sitting around, and I hang upside down for 20 minutes every day, both of which help to decompress.

Bottom line is, X-Rays, Cat Scans and/or MRI's are the only way to be sure. I say to anyone with spinal discomfort, deal with it as soon as possible. The younger you are, the more completely you'll heal. Keep your spine healthy at all costs, brothers. Even if you have to find a way to pay for it yourself, you must find out what the exact problem is. I am living proof that when it comes to your spine, you should never try to "tough " it out.

[ayurvedictr Member Find all posts View Profile Close ayurvedictr]

Spondylolysis is a crack or stress fracture in one of the vertebrae, the small bones that make up the spinal column. The injury most often occurs in children and adolescents who participate in sports that involve repeated stress on the lower back, such as gymnastics, football, and weight lifting.