Spondyloslisthesis Questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Linda_in_NJ
  • Start date Start date
L

Linda_in_NJ

Guest
I have been searching the internet since reading explanations online about spondylolisthesis and it seems it fit all of my symptoms. I need to ask some questions until I can reach my doctor. Does spondylolisthesis always involve a fracture somewhere in the vertabre? Or is a fracture rare? The pain in my legs are worse than the pain in my back. Can't stand, walk, or sit for long perioRAB of time, especially walking. When I first wake up in the morning, I feel like I can't walk at all and that's when the back pain is at it's worst. Is any of this the same as with you. By the way I am 54 and probably some of this is due to DDD? Anything else you can explain to me would be great. I am on temp. disability right now and cannot work. Thanks, Linda
 
My spondylolisthesis did not involve a fracture. My understanding of the problem is that it is a slippage of a vertebra over the one below it; my problem involved L2, L3, L4, L5, and S1. Decompression and fusion of those 5 ones stabilized my lower spine; most of my pre-surgery pain was relieved. I know what you mean about the horrible pain upon first arising. My pain was in my buttocks, legs, and lower back. Having the surgery was a God-send.
 
Hey Linda,

There are different types of spondy, and not all include a fracture. I am not sure of the names of the different types, but I think one is degenerative spondylolisthesis, which does not have a fracture.
 
Linda,

Right now, I can't see myself having surgery for this. Yes, I have chronic pain from it, but I guess I have gotten used to it and am still able to function fairly well. Even with my pain, I can still manage to get to the gym everyday and get in my workout...which definitely helps. Exercise IS my saving grace. As long as I keep moving, the pain is tolerable. It's when I stop moving...such as sitting at my desk at work, sitting in the car, sitting on the couch, sleeping in bed, etc...that is when my back instantly stiffens up and I have a hard time getting up from a seated or lying position. I'm pretty sure that is a product of the DDD and quite possibly facet joint issues, as I've been told when you have problems with getting up from a seated or lying position, it is due to the facet joints. I might consider looking into some type of facet joint injection in the near future. But full-blown fusion surgery is something that I'd like to avoid at all costs.

Linda (my name is Linda, too)
 
Hi Linda,

My spondy does involve a bilateral pars fracture. I'm 43yo, and to this day...I still have no idea how this happened to my back. The doctors I have seen cannot say for sure if I was born this way, or if it happened due to some traumatic fall I had as a child. What I do know, is that I've had it for as long as I can remeraber which is probably back to my early 20's. The reason I can remeraber having it, wasn't so much due to the pain...but rather a physical deformity at my L5. I have a boney protrusion, which I've been told is the spiney process of my L5 vertebra. It literally sticks out (almost like a tail) and is especially noticeable when I bend forward. It freaks a lot of people out when they see it for the first time. Like you, my pain is worse first thing in the morning when I wake up. But I also have severe DDD at that level, too...so I'm not exactly sure as to what is causing the pain. Before I even attempt to stand up and walk, I have to do a 20-minute stretching routine while I'm still in bed...just to loosen up my stiff and tight lower back. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom is a real treat! I have to hold onto things like the wall, dresser, door frame, etc...just to make it to the stairs...and then I have the joy of getting down 6 steps to the bathroom. Sometimes, I will actually debate with myself if I really have to "go" bad enough...or if I can hold it until my wake-up time, because it is such a pain (literally) to get out of bed so abruptly.

Anyway...I don't have much in the way of advice to offer you...only my sympathy because I can relate to what you're going through.
 
This may help:
Spondylosis is degenerative arthritis of the vertebra and related tissues.
Spondylolysis is a defect in the transverse plane of the vertebra.
Spondylolysthesis is the displacement of a verbera in relation to the vertebra below.
 
Thanks for your input nscrbug. I know what you mean about using the bathroom at night. Thank goodness I have one right off my bedroom and I do the same thing, do I really have to go that bad. But I had an erabarassing episode last week. My bladder just let loose. Thank goodness no one was home at the time but my doctor told me to keep an eye on that because it could become a big problem with the nerve pressing on the bladder. So I don't take any more chances. Will you ever have surgery for your problem?
Thanks again for responding. Take care, Linda
 
Back
Top