Pain Relief for Spondylolisthesis

Most commonly occurring in the lower spine, spondylolisthesis occurs when a joint in your back allows a bone to slide forward over a bone below it. Nerves can be damaged as a result of spondylolisthesis, causing pain in your back and weakness or numbness in the legs.

The condition often occurs in teenagers as a result of a sports injury, although they may never feel symptoms. Diagnosing primarily with x-ray, your doctor will look for out-of-place vertebrae and fractures. Sufferers may experience not only back pain, but shooting pain down the back of the legs and difficulty walking.

Types

• Congenital spondylolisthesis is the result of an abnormal bone formation during a fetus's development, which puts the vertebrae at risk for slipping. Isthmic spondylolisthesis occurs as a result of spondylolysis. The term "spondylolysis" refers to a defect in the segments of bone that link the joints in the back of the spine. Spondylolysis is the most common cause of spondylolisthesis. These terms are not interchangeable. The most common form of this disorder, degenerative spondylolisthesis, occurs with aging, when the cushiony disks between your vertebrae lose the ability to resist movement of your vertebrae. This most frequently presents after the age of 40.

  When an injury causes a slip or spinal fracture, it is known as traumatic spondylolisthesis. When the spine is weakened by a disease like osteoporosis, it is referred to as pathological spondylolisthesis. Finally, postsurgical spondylolisthesis occurs after spinal surgery.

Treatment

• Anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, treat the pain caused by inflammation. An epidural steroid injection may also be administered to reduce inflammation. A back brace may also reduce pain by stabilizing your back. Your doctor may also prescribe physical therapy to help build your core muscles in your stomach and back. Physical therapy will help promote painless movement and flexibility.

  A decompressive laminectomy, a surgical procedure, may also help relieve pain by removing the bone that is pressing on spinal nerves. Although this may decrease your pain, it may also leave your spine unstable. A spinal fusion, where a piece of bone is transplanted to the spine to heal together, creating a larger, more stable piece of bone. Surgeons can also place a man-made ligament to reinforce the spine and improve stability.