Spondylolisthesis symptoms
Signs of spondylolisthesis include:
- Chronic back pain
- Stiff back and legs
- Tender lower back
- Pain in the thighs
- Diagnosis
A detailed physical exam helps diagnose spondylolisthesis. A patient who has spondylolisthesis will find it difficult to raise his or her leg.
Other diagnostic tests include:
X-rays: Lower spinal x-rays are necessary to determine whether vertebrae are displaced or fractured.
CT scans: A CT scan picks up fragments of bone that press against nerves.
Treatment
Treatment for spondylolisthesis can be conservative or surgical. Bracing, physical therapy exercises and epidural steroid injections relieve spondylolisthesis-related pain. However, spinal fusion is necessary if the pain from the spondylolisthesis is severe and the vertebrae are so far out from their original position.
Spondylolysis
Stress fracture and Pars defect are terms that come to mind when we think of spondylolysis. Pars interarticularis, a fine bone that conjoins two vertebrae, is mostly affected due to repetitive stress. Athletes are prone to back pain as a result of spondylolysis.
Spondylolysis symptoms
Back pain is a prevalent symptom of spondylolysis that worsens with sports activity and bending.
Other signs include:
- Stiff back
- Muscle spasms
- Numbness or tingling sensation in the legs (radiculopathy)
Diagnosis
Usually, x-rays detect stress fractures but should pain persist even after non-surgical treatment, your surgeon will carry out additional tests such as MRI and CT scans.
Treatment
To eliminate the painful motion between the vertebrae, your surgeon at Protea Spine performs a spinal fusion to weld the ends of the bone together. They remove the worn-out disc and use an implant comprising plastic, metal, or bone to fill the space between vertebral bodies. An implant restores the height of the disc and relieves nerve root pressure.
“Once you choose hope, anything is possible”.
CHRISTOPHER REEVE