Although nonsurgical treatment is often successful, sometimes surgery is required to relieve the symptoms of spondylolisthesis and prevent the condition from worsening.
You may need surgery if you have high-grade spondylolisthesis, the pain is severe or you've tried nonsurgical treatments without success. The goals of spondylolisthesis surgery are to: Relieve pain from the irritated nerve. Stabilize the spine where the vertebra has slipped.
Spinal fusion surgery for a degenerative spondylolisthesis is generally quite successful, with upwards of 90% of patients improving their function and enjoying a substantial decrease in their pain.
Conclusions: Surgical outcomes of decompression surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis were successful in 73% cases.
Although nonsurgical treatment is often successful, sometimes surgery is required to relieve the symptoms of spondylolisthesis and prevent the condition from worsening.
Your Recovery
After surgery, you can expect your back to feel stiff and sore. You may have trouble sitting or standing in one position for very long. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to get back to doing simple activities, such as light housework. It may take 6 months to a year for your back to get better completely.
If a nerve is compressed, over time, spondylolisthesis can cause nerve damage, which may lead to paralysis. In some cases, spondylolisthesis can cause cauda equina syndrome — another spinal condition that is a medical emergency because if it is left untreated there is a high risk of paralysis.
Any form of exercise that involves twisting or bending the lumbar spine should be averted with spondylolisthesis. Examples include trampolining, sledding, golfing, gymnastics, and diving. These activities can exacerbate spondylolisthesis symptoms.
Medical innovations have created a new treatment option for patients struggling with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis: non-fusion spine surgery. This procedure generally involves the use of a non-fusion implant to stabilize the affected spinal segment without fusing the vertebrae.
Back surgery can help ease some causes of back pain, but it's rarely necessary. Most back pain gets better on its own within three months. Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a health care provider. Common treatments may include anti-inflammatory medicines, heat or ice, and physical therapy.
What Makes Spondylolisthesis Worse? When you're living with spondylolisthesis, it's important to avoid movements which make the condition worse. Movements which may aggravate spondylolisthesis include: Repeated bending, extending, or twisting motions.
For patients with spondylolisthesis, mortality rates were 2.3% for nonoperative treatment versus 1.3% for laminectomy and fusion. In adjusted analyses, the relative risk of death was 28% lower in operatively managed patients.
Time: The surgery typically takes approximately 5-6 hours for an otherwise healthy young person. Blood transfusions: Some children will require blood transfusions during and sometimes after the surgery.
“Spondylolisthesis is not dangerous or life-threatening, so treatment isn't always medically necessary. It's a quality of life decision that you have to make for yourself.” If you do decide to get treatment, there is good news: There are multiple treatment options available, and they tend to be very successful.
Sitting doesn't directly cause spondylolisthesis. However, in patients who have spondylolisthesis, sitting can trigger pain flare-ups. Specifically, sitting in a slouched, twisted, or bent position can lead to spondylolisthesis pain.
Patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis will often develop leg and/or lower back pain when slippage of the vertebrae begins to put pressure on the spinal nerves. The most common symptoms in the legs include a feeling of diffuse weakness associated with prolonged standing or walking.
The most common surgical procedure used to treat spondylolisthesis is called a laminectomy and fusion. In this procedure, the spinal canal is widened by removing or trimming the laminae (roof) of the vertebrae. This is done to create more space for the nerves and relieve pressure on the spinal cord.
If the spondylolisthesis is mobile, or increases with bending forwards and backwards, it is termed unstable. This is commonly associated with back pain. If there is no movement it is called a stable spondylolisthesis.
Chiropractors can't fix spondylolisthesis, only surgery can completely fix the problem. However, a grade 1 or 2 spondylolisthesis can be managed with chiropractic care and Pilates. We have many patients in the practice that have spondylolisthesis that are now pain free and managed.
Does a Spondylolisthesis get worse over time? Life is a degenerative process. It is normal for joints to become arthritic or discs to degenerate as we use our back. If you are diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, especially at a young age, this does tend to worsen over time.
No, there is no hard and fast age limit for spinal surgery. Because both elderly patients and young people can be afflicted with spinal issues, age is not the primary deciding factor in whether or not spinal surgery is an option.
One of the most dreaded complications after spine surgery is neurological worsening or paralysis. The incidence of neurological issues after posterior lumbar decompression and instrumented fusion surgery in cases of spondylolisthesis may be as high as 45%.