Spondylolisthesis

If you’ve been diagnosed with a spondylolisthesis, here is an outline of the treatment that helps. We call this problem a “spondy” for short for obvious reasons.

Adjustments are performed to the area under the spondy. If you have a problem at the L4 vertebrae, we might adjust L5 underneath it. If the problem is L5, we might adjust the sacrum. The purpose of this is to take the stress off the joints of the spondy.

Avoiding certain exercises that cause arching of the back. Certain yoga postures that arch the back will further damage the joints. Don’t do them. I know this will upset all the yogis out there, but haven’t you ever wondered why some people get worse with yoga? I’m all for yoga, but if there’s a spondy it’s not going to work.

Stabilization exercises are useful. If you can learn to contract the muscles of your torso and keep your spondy still while you move your arms and legs, you are on your way to fixing your pain.

It can take 2-3 weeks before you begin to notice pain relief. It may take up to 3-4 months to fully stabilize the spine so that we are done with treatment. Periodic adjustments to the area are beneficial because this is a chronic condition. There is no cure for a spondy but with proper treatment you can live a normal life with minimal pain.