Spondylolisthesis is a condition that often affects your lumbar spine and may lead to both pain and disability. Although this diagnosis may seem grim, the truth is, there are treatments that are able to help.
At Kellogg Brain and Spine, our team specializes in a variety of problems that affect both your brain and your spine. Dr. Jordi Kellogg is our highly trained neurosurgeon, who helps you determine if spondylolisthesis is what’s causing your back pain.
What is spondylolisthesis?
Your spine is made up of bones, called vertebrae, that protect your spinal cord from harm and give your body shape. But your vertebrae take on a lot of force and pressure from the rest of your body every day.
Spondylolisthesis happens when one of the vertebrae in your lower spine slips out of its normal position and sometimes ends up compressing on the vertebrae that sits below it. This can lead to pain caused by compression of a nerve and instability of the lumbar spine.
There are several different types of spondylolisthesis, which are categorized by the cause behind the disorder. Some of the forms of this condition that you may come across include:
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis
- Congenital spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis
- Traumatic spondylolisthesis
- Pathological
Spondylolisthesis can also occur after different types of spinal surgery, although this isn’t common. Dr. Kellogg helps to determine what type of spondylolisthesis you have to be able to get you the right treatment.
Symptoms of this condition
If you have spondylolisthesis, your symptoms may range from very mild to extremely severe. In some cases, you may have no symptoms at all, while in others the pain may be debilitating. There are some common symptoms of spondylolisthesis, and they include:
- Leg weakness
- Back stiffness
- Low back pain
- Tenderness in the low back
- Numbness or tingling
- Tight hamstring muscle
Over time, spondylolisthesis can lead to other problems in your spine, such as lordosis and kyphosis. These conditions may lead to even more pain and deformity of your spine.
Luckily, spondylolisthesis can often be treated with nonsurgical measures. Dr. Kellogg uses state-of-the-art imaging studies to figure out the condition of your spine to hopefully get you the pain relief you need.
What are your treatment options?
After determining that spondylolisthesis is the culprit behind your low back pain, Dr. Kellogg offers a number of different treatment routes for you to explore. The treatment depends on the severity of your condition and how much it affects your everyday life.
Treatment also is dependent on your overall health and your age and may include several different therapies, some of which include:
- Bracing
- Physical therapy
- Rest
- Steroid injections
- Anti-inflammatory medications
In many cases, these conservative measures are enough to control your pain and discomfort and get you back to your everyday activities. However, in some instances, your pain may persist through the above treatments, in which case Dr. Kellogg may recommend surgical intervention.
The surgery that’s often performed to relieve the pain from spondylolisthesis is a spinal decompression with a spinal fusion. This surgery not only helps to relieve your pain, but also stabilizes that area of your spine and allows it to return to normal function.
If you’re suffering from spondylolisthesis, don’t hesitate to call one of our offices in Portland or Wilsonville, Oregon, to schedule a consultation. You can also click the request an appointment button while you’re here on our website.
