Medical Questions » Back Problems Questions » Question No. 130
Question:The orthopaedic specialist told me my back pain was caused by a problem with the bones in the back called spondylolisthesis. He wrote the name down for me and tried to explain it, but I couldn' t understand him very well. Can you please tell me what this is?
Answer:Your backbone is made up of a series of 24 bones (vertebrae) that are stacked one on top of the other, and interlocked rather like a tower of Lego blocks. The vertebrae are not in a straight line, but are gently curved. There should be no side to side curve, but the backbone curves in at the neck, out between the shoulders, in at the waist, and out again at the back of the belly. If one of these vertebrae becomes unlocked from the vertebra below it and slips forward, you are suffering from spondylolisthesis. This usually occurs gradually over a number of years, is usually associated with arthritis of the back and may cause considerable pain because nerves that leave the spinal cord and run out between the vertebrae become pinched. Any vertebra may slip forward, but the bottom vertebra in the back, where it joins the pelvis, is the most common one involved. The amount of forward slip can vary from a few millimetres to (in rare and serious cases) the complete width of the vertebra. The symptoms will depend upon the amount of slippage. Most commonly pain in the back and sciatica (pain down the leg) occur. Spondylolisthesis may be congenital (present from birth), due to injury, arthritis, degeneration of the disc between the vertebrae (' slipped disc' ), tumours or other bone disease. The condition can be easily diagnosed by an X-ray of the back, but severe slips can be felt by the examining doctor. Treatment involves bed rest, heat, traction, physiotherapy, pain-killers, antiinflammatory medication and in severe cases surgery.
       
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