What is a Spondylolisthesis?
Spondylolisthesis pronounced, \ˌspän-də-lō-lis-ˈthē-səs\ or spondylo for short.
Spondylolisthesis is a big word that describes a condition where a vertebra has slipped forward on top of the one below it. The vertebra can slip so far forward that it can choke off 
nerve roots in the spine and cause shooting pain.
A spondylolisthesis is most commonly found on the very lowest vertebra (L5) or the one above it (L4). Although, I have seen them at higher levels in the spine on rare occasions.
The most common cause of a spondylolisthesis is a stress fracture. The fracture splits the vertebra so that the front part slips forward and the back part stays where it is. Sometimes you can feel around with your fingers and find a divot where the spine dips in, just above the involved vertebra. The stress fracture usually occurs during physical activity during adolescence, but they can occur at other times.
Sometimes the fracture is missed on standard imaging because no slippage has occurred. This is called a pending spondylolisthesis and only shows up on a study called a SPECT scan.
The odd thing about spondylos is that many people have them and don’t even know it. It may happen to you as a teenager and you may have little or no pain at that time. However, if your posture deteriorates or you injure the area, it can flare up and cause a lot of pain.
Spondylo patients can be treated with chiropractic, but not all techniques work well. Since the vertebra is already forward, a technique that will push it more forward, is obviously not advisable. The main goal of treatment is to correct the patient’s posture, so that there is less stress in the area of the spondylo. That can give a lot of pain relief.
Treatment is followed up with home instructions for care that will help prevent re-aggravation.
To learn more about how I treat spondylolisthesis log onto www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com. Or if you would like to set up a free consultation to see if I can help, call Jennifer at 262-251-8306.
