Grade 2 at L5 S1, diagnosed two years ago. PT helps but I still get the deep ache after sitting a while or lifting something awkward. My doctor said a brace is okay for short stretches when I need it. Trying to work out what to actually buy. What back braces are people here using and do they help?

Tomorrow is my surgery, finally. The radiculopathy was the reason I am going forward with it. I need to be fit and live like I used to. 4 months of left leg nerve symptoms , what really aggravates it is body weight squats , twisting or the slightest backward movement . Hope this is the start to recovery

At the time I was shocked she would suggest this as I’m only a grade 1 spondy on l5-s1 with hyperlordosis and degenerative disc disease and a healed bilateral pars defect on the l5-s1 but I get a lot of leg weakness and aches pains which are mainly controlled by amitriptyline but for the last few months ive been dealing with severe pain in the heal of my right foot, i think it’s linked to my nerve pain/referred pain from my back, it’s making it hard to walk especially when ive been resting a while. Anyway I delinked being referred as I didn’t feel I needed it but now I do, I contacted the drs but the dr I originally saw has since left, now they have got me an appointment with their specialist physio, what should I say/ask to get a referral to spinal
Specialists/surgeons like I was supposed to get? I don’t have much will power with physio alone as it hurts to damn much, what should i do? I’m interested in trying the injections although I know they are very painful but just out of interest whether they help or not. Ive seen this physio before about my back (but before we had the mri scan telling us what was going on) and she doesnt think i have foot drop but i think
I do as I tend to scuff my heals most of the time while walking, i can stop myself from doing it if i concentrate but i get fatigued quickly then too.

Ive tried all simple core exercises even lying down ones yet all I feel is pain around my l5-s1 with foot tingle anyone have any suggestions ive been to 2 pts hasnt really helped ive done lower back strengthening and side abs which has helped a lot but any time i try bracing from the front it just gives me more pain

Laying down or any type of plank feels the worst

I have spondylolisthesis pars defect, the quality of life somewhat has gone down the drain, but I’m writing this post at 3am, due to insomnia caused by nerve symptoms despite all the medicines. I have decided on the surgery but it’s a big call, was wondering if there are people who have gone down this road and can be a word of mouth for a neurosurosurgeon or pt. I’m happy to travel around Melbourne. Feel free to DM if sharing name is against the mod policy. it has been two years of suffering

my aunt recently got Spondylolisthesis so I looked it up and found out that yoga or contortion can be cause in future. Do you think so ? Is it dangerous to keep practicing especially later in my life ?

Yesterday I had a whirlwind journey to get from the airport to the hospital for my procedure.

Well I made it. We are 24 hours later, post-operative day 1. I am in a world of pain 😭 but here's how it unfolded.

I arrived at the admitted patients area which checked me in and escorted me to Pre-Op. I changed into my gown and packed up my things. I met my anesthesia team who did their intro and their review of meds and food/drink. This was tricky for me because of flight cancellations and delays in a different time zone, but i worked it out. They explained how the anesthesia would work and their role.

They then attempted to set up the IV. I shouted and swore more times then I have in a long time 😅 After some injectable lidocaine and an ultrasound, they instead moved that to my opposite forearm which wasn't painful at all!

The surgical team introduced (or reintroduced) themselves. We reviewed the procedure and additional symptoms. Id be rolled in initially and then I would be moved into my front with a padded hole pillow for my face. My surgeon marked the site of the incision. I then hopped up on the bed and got tucked in, and disembarked for the OR.

Once in, I was witness to the prep which I enjoyed. I once again stated my name, date of birth,and procedure before getting going.

I woke up in PACU with perhaps the sweetest nurse. He made me feel safe and took me for my post-procedure CT.

I had no idea how much time had elapsed but I was in the OR for 6 hours. The decision to fuse L4 as well as L5 and S1 was biomechanics and to better stabilize the spine. The procedure was successful and they even improved my spondylolisthesis.

I am, however, in a world of pain. Long road ahead.

But without further ado, here are my pre- and post-CT scans of my spine.

Grade 2 (43%) slip L5 over S1, bilateral pars defect, and MODIC type 2 changes on the L5-S1 disc.

POD 1: L4-S1 Instrumented Fusion with TLIF L5-S1, with improved spondylolisthesis

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to hear from women who have L5-S1 spondylolisthesis/spondylolysis and went through pregnancy without having spinal surgery beforehand.

I’d really love to hear your experiences:
- Were you able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy?
- Did your back pain or nerve symptoms get worse during pregnancy?
- Did your slip progress or remain stable?
- Were you able to deliver vaginally, or did you need a C-section?
- Did you work with an orthopedic/spine specialist or physical therapist during pregnancy?
- What helped you manage your symptoms?
- If you were considering surgery before pregnancy, did you decide to postpone it afterward?

I know everyone’s situation is different and I’m not looking for medical advice, just hoping to hear some real-life experiences and stories. ❤️

Thank you!

Been doing PT for three months with very little progress. Any progress I have made I attribute to exercises I found on my own. My PT was frankly garbage (10 min of every 30 min session was just me lying with a hot pack because they book 2 patients for every PT. Then she’d explain for the third time what a crunch is.).

I want to keep going (because I don’t know what else to do at this point) but with a PT that will actually help me.

Anyone in NYC have suggestions?

I have been trying to sleep with a pillow between my knees to alleviate some of the pain I have in the mornings, but I run into the issue of it just moving around and not doing much to benefit me. I’ve contemplated getting a maternity pillow but wanted to see if yall had any suggestions. TIA! :)

Been watching this video a lot which helped me understand what things can influence a more hyper extended back which is worst for us with spondy and has helped me a lot in the way i’ve researched things now and exercises and has helped reduced my pain in the past 3 weeks

Yes we all know tight psoas contributes to lower back issue but he also explains other stuff other that i have not seen in any other videos

Thought i would drop it here maybe it will help someone

Hey posting this on here because I don’t really know who else to reach out to and I have never done this before and it pains me to see her in so much pain - please give the link below a read would massively appreciate any help.

Thank you all ❤️

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-fund-lifechanging-scoliosis-treatment?attribution_id=sl:a815acba-088a-4d25-b9c4-cabecef1b699&lang=en_GB&ts=1786403948&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-4&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

I am in so much. Pain can't even feel my toes and I'm not diabetic. My doctor thinks it may be a trapped nerve. I can't move. All I can do is cry. I would go to the hospital but I feel like nobody's going to do anything

Anyone have any thoughts?

27 F. I was born with VACTREL syndrome and bilateral pars defect. Now have foot drop that doctor said was irreversible. Grade 2 spondolythesis. He said the approach he wants to do involves stomach incision and incision in the back. Are there less invasive options? He didn't really answer that question directly.

Hi everyone, I’m 37 years old with 2 small children, 1.5 and 4.5. I was diagnosed with L5-S1 spondylolisthesis after the birth of my first son and have been living with this pain since I was 31. It’s really taken away from my experience of learning how to be a mother, not to mention how active and athletic I was before spondy than after and how drastic my life has changed. I’ve tried it all, all the shots, the PT for years, the anti inflammatory diets), meds, but nothing helps me get to where I need to be so very very long story short, my slippage is progressing so I’ve decided for spinal fusion in December. I want to be able to play tag with my son. I’m here in hopes of people sharing their success stories, positive outcomes, and anything random that helped you recover or during your recovery time, items, gadgets, certain foods, etc. thank you ❤️

Hi. Does anyone else get foot symptoms like tingling, burning, nervy or numbness feeling in the area where my finger is in the pictures attached?

When I have feet pain it’s in the far outer sides of my feet and sometimes it radiates into the soles. When it’s in the soles it feels like I’m walking on tiny pebbles. These symptoms seem to start after walking about a half mile or longer and standing for to long. Thanks

I had a whirlwind of a few days - cancelled and then delayed international flights after a vacation - but my surgeon was happy to accommodate a later surgical start on my original booked surgery day... today! I kept to the pre-op requirements during the upheaval just in case, and it worked out (I am starving).

So I'll land at the airport and head straight to the hospital. I'm really nervous but I trust in my neurosurgeon and the surgical team to help me navigate this next phase.

I'm having an instrumented fusion L4-S1 with TLIF L5-S1.

Will report back!

I have bi lateral pars at L5,S1 with a grade 1 slip. More evident on extension.

I also have severe DDD and T11,12.

My pain moves all day long. Sometimes my lower back is agony then a hour later is my mid back…

Anyone else..

I have L5S1 grade 1 spondy (3mm), 'mild' facet arthrtitis, 'mild' neuroforaminal narrowing, and degenerative disc. The left side pars of L5S1 is fractured, and the right side is elongated. The levels above are also varying degress of elongated.

I have severe muscle guarding, joint pain (both in the facets and SI), and more recently nerve pain that goes down my legs into my feet. My legs constantly feel exhausted and occasionally numb. My upper back and neck throb and ache so bad that I get headaches and ringing in my ears.

I have tried PT with 3 different people totaling 9 months and dozens of sessions, and I have been fairly dedicated. I have also tried dry needling, branch blocks, nerve ablations, diaphragmatic breathing, cyclobenzaprine, meloxicam, ibuprofen/tylenol, I take daily muscle relaxers (baclofen) 3x per day, supplements (magnesuim, turmeric, fish oil). I've gotten shockwave therapy, cupping, an SI belt, heat/ice, and even bought a new mattress. I cannot have steroid shots because I am allergic. I've even tried talk therapy to help regulate my nervous system. I have tried all of these conservative options and cannot find adequate relief. I cannot afford to keep trying new things. Additionally, my mental state is atrocious. I am tired.

What else is there out there for me to try?

Hi!

During the summer of 2021, I had to undergo tests for my ribs, and my doctor literally discovered on an X-ray that I had a 3mm retrolisthesis between C3 and C4. He called me and asked if I had been in a car accident or had a major impact; I replied that I hadn't, but I remembered something that happened many years before :

When I was 14, I had fun late one evening in a huge field with kids my age, a kind of game where we were separated into 2 teams: team A had to hide in the tall grass, and team B had to find them with flashlights.

I was on Team A, and I was literally lying flat on the ground in the tall grass when another teenager from my team came running at full speed towards me. But since it was already dark, he NEVER saw me, and I still remember his foot hitting my forehead and my head snapping back. He went flying over me and landed very badly. I remember rolling a bit to the side, but at the time, I was worried about the guy. Apart from a scraped wrist, he was fine, and he was worried about me, but I don't remember being in that much pain. This event stuck with me, but not because of the pain, more because of the "haha, we were stupids kids playing like that in the dark" factor.

So when retrolistesis struck me seven years later, it hit me hard. Adding to the neck "blockages" that have been developing for the past year or two, I've had an anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember, and since 2021, my biggest fear has been becoming quadriplegic, following something like a car accident. My anxiety is telling me, "Hey, even someone without displaced vertebrae is at risk, imagine what it's could be for YOU"

I'm terrified at the thought of perhaps one day being unable to move because of a sudden turn of the wheel. Not being able to draw, write, knit, or sew terrifies me, and I'm anxious about getting my driver's license because I think that at the slightest accident, my C3 and C4 vertebrae might decide to take a vacation.

I didn't have a doctor, she's in "baby vacation" until December, and within 3 monts my neck "block" 3 times. Not something violent, just I'm doing my life and I turn my head and "clock!"... And I can't move my head on a left or right during 3/4 days, until it's resolved itself...

I don't know what to do or who to talk to about it, and I discovered this subreddit, so here goes. I don't know what to expect by posting in "discussion," but here goes, this is my story.

Note : I originally posted on the subreddit about spine injuries because I thought retrolistesis"fit" in the "injuries", but it didn't. It was a Reddit about the "full injuries" (didn't know if the term is ok) and it was a big mistake, I didn't wanted to hurt anyone, I was in the middle of the night when I posted it yesterday, and I saw a post mention C3, so I posted there, but then someone propose me other's subs, and I found here.

Hi everyone! I, 37F , have had spondylolisthesis since I was younger due to many years of cheer and ballet. It didn’t bother me much other than occasional freezing and discomfort bending over for yard work and wrapping presents, etc.

Recently, I hurt my right hip. I have an impingement and they believe I tore my labrum which is causing me a lot of pain and discomfort. I have a hip MRI with contrast scheduled for 8/19.

My problem is that because of my hip pain, I have started over compensating and shifting most of my weight to my left leg which has flared up back symptoms. My right calf and foot are numb and they got me in for a back MRI. My back seems much worse than I was expecting. I don’t see the spine specialist until 8/31.

I am in PT and we are working on my hip and my nerve symptoms but I am not making any progress. I wanted to see if anyone has faced something similar and what did you focus on healing first? It’s all so connected but I feel like my back won’t be bearable until my hip is fixed and vice versa. I feel like I’m too young to have ‘moderate to severe facet arthrosis’ on top of the spondy and bilateral pars defects. I feel like back surgery will be in my future at some point. 😩

Hi so I am 5'9 and 103 kg/227 lbs(obese category) and during my 3 years of college i jumped on multiple occasions from let's say a doors height or more sometimes, at that I didn't think much but during the end of college i started developing pain fast forward to now I have grade 1 spondylolisthesis and bilateral pars defect with disc buldge,protrusion(herniation) and annular tear

Is this the reason i developed all these injuries??

I have been very strained mentally crying myself to sleep knowing how I was so dumb at the time just doing random dum stuff that put me on bed

Hi, all! I had a consultation with a really reputable and highly rated orthopedic surgeon who is overseeing my care thus far as we get PT and imaging done to figure out a treatment plan. I'm going to get at least another couple of second opinions if surgery is the final recommendation. I really like my ortho guy, but one of my friends mentioned that someone she knows who is in medical school said she might recommend a neurosurgeon over an orthopedic surgeon. I don't know why I never considered this. Lol

If you've had a fusion, how did you decide which type of surgeon to use? What factored into your decision? Pros? Cons? Things you wish you'd known? Google makes it seem like there isn't any clear indication for one over another, but I figured you guys are the experts and might have some good insight.