r/Spondylolisthesis

Not my first post here, but hi everyone! Nearly 8 months in to managing grade 1 spondy, pars fracture with a bulged disc at the same level. I’ve been having success in getting my back pain very very low- sometimes I’m pain free in that area and others it’s quite low. However, now that my back pain is progressively getting lower and not at the forefront of my every thought I am noticing I have BURNING feet whenever I stand still or walk more than 4-6 hours. I simply can’t stand still, I have to move constantly or they burn and feel super heavy. Sometimes when I stand still my feet turn very red - then immediately when I move they are back to their normal color. I have brought this to a reputable surgeons attention (the color change) and he couldn’t give me an answer as to why but also does not recommend surgery for my case. Does anyone deal with this? What is the cause? Is there something I can do to help improve? Thanks in advance!

Hi there, L5/S1 spondy here, living in Singapore and not able to walk more than 20mins without pain, I'm looking for surgeons to talk to. Anyone has a reference or two to share by any chance? I see many ortho or spine surgeons, but hard to select which to go and talk to.... Appreciate your support 🙏

Curious if anyone who has had a fusion can recommend any surgeons in northern Cali, specifically the Bay area or surrounding? I have
L5-S1 spondy that is only Grade 1 (they think) but i cannot stand
Or walk for even 10 minutes without major pain and foot and left pain and numbness. It's getting worse not better.
thanks:)

In other words, this sub has the worst of the worst cases of spondy meanwhile many people have spondy and have rehabbed or recovered from surgery enough or it doesn’t bother them enough to seek medical help and we don’t know about it bc they’re not on Reddit ?

27F here, I got diagnosed with 3 herniated discs at 18, I went through PT and the whole thing, I got better for a while then crippling pain again, PT again and I got better again… that cycle repeated like that for 8 years.
I was living a healthy and athletic life, CrossFit, running long runs and hiking, one day I tripped on one of my runs and within 5 days I could move nor breathe … turns out I have isthmic lytic L5-S1 sponsylolisthesis that caused an extremely painful episode including muscle spasms and contractures. I consulted two specialists (ortho and neuro) and they both agree on the same surgery (spinal fusion with some prosthetics) but they said that I was too young and we should aim to postpone the surgery as much as possible. That was a month ago and since then pain has come and gone, I got zoster herpes and nerve damage from it and I realized that I may not want to live “hanging on” to postpone a surgery that HAS to happen at some point…
I am scared of the surgery but I have three jobs, one of them as a kindergarten teacher so bending and reaching is a must, and I feel like I’m living half my life and disappointing myself and everyone around me…

I don’t know what to do, I need advice, anecdotal information and any additional information you can give me.

Thank you for giving me a community and any advice/info you can give me.

Ps: adding to the three herniated discs and the one fracture, I have four fully black discs, a schmorl node, bone damage on several vertebrae and I think that’s it from my back (I have other health issues not back related).

Saw a lot of articles and medical studies about potential long term effects of Epidurals leading to potential bone loss, osteoporosis and potential for worse fracturing etc.

Is that true? I'm having my 4th and 5th epidural shots tomorrow but am anxious now since I've done three but the first time was about a year ago, one shot on my right side (where the pain is L5-S1) but then I think early Jan this year or Feb 2026, I had another where I did my left and my right side this time since I had pain in my left.

I don’t want this to get worse but I remember my pain in Jan/Feb was like an 8 but after the shots was about a 4 which is why the doctor recommend this to me again, especially since they said it’s after 3 months. They originally wanted me to do radio frequency ablation

Is this a real area of concern or is this something I shouldn't need to worry much about?

I really appreciate any help and tips.

Currently laying in recovery. I had my surgery around 11am this morning and it is now past midnight and here's how I'm feeling;

I'm mostly REALLY sore. I'm not in pain because I got that delicious morphine hooked up, and I've been able to walk twice so far and I can roll over and lay on my side . I'm REALLY hungry. I'm on a liquid diet for now and I hate it. I want a burger so bad 😭😭

I will hopefully go home tomorrow morning bit I'm not sure yet. I honestly feel really good and I'm just so happy that I got through the surgery with no issues. I know my recovery will be a long road, but it's going to be worth it. Ill keep updating as I go along ❤

Hey guys, just a little info on me: 37f, been dealing with this a few years now, l5-s1 grade 1. I changed careers etc. I still have a hard time accepting this medical condition…

Work life is one thing. I’m struggling emotionally with daily life acceptance. My brother in law was married and had a joined bachelor/bachelorette party. It was my first time on a party bus. The next day was absolutely awful. I said to my husband “guess I can never go horse back riding again “. He was just like “you thought you could?”

There’s no amount of money I wouldn’t give to have my back normal again. I just feel so defeated with how much it has impacted my life.

I’ve done PT and I do stretching and get steroid injections. The shots are the only thing making my life somewhat normal but I know they will eventually make my back worse. I’m avoiding surgery..

Anyway, how does everyone accept this condition? How do you accept being left behind? How do you parent without being ornery from pain? How do you handle the guilt from putting more on your partner to avoid causing yourself pain or further deterioration?

Just how ?…

Can anyone do this relatively pain free ? How did you get there ?

Hey everyone, I’m looking to see if anyone else has dealt wih a symptom timeline like this while waiting for a spine specialist appointment. I’m currently dealing with severe spinal stenosis at the L5-S1 level (my MRI shows severe compression shifted heavily to my right side).

This all stems from a vehicle accident on December 6, 2024. The impact caused a severe lower back injury, resulting in spinal slippage (spondylolisthesis) and the nerve compression/canal narrowing I am dealing with now.

​Here is what has been going on over the last few days:

​Bowel Changes: This is my biggest concern. Over the last 48 hours, I have had four separate episodes of bowel incontinence (soiling myself slightly). One happened Monday night at work, and another happened yesterday evening while just sitting on the couch. I am not sick, have no fever, and have no stomach pain or GI issues. The stool is loose and mucusy. When I get to the toilet, it completely empties without me even needing to push.

​Pain & Numbness: I have extreme lower back pain and severe radiating pain/numbness through my hips (mostly the right side) and down my right leg into my foot. I also have a constant, deep "bruised" feeling in my right buttock. Driving is incredibly painful because I use my right leg.

​Phantom Sensations: I’ve started getting bizarre nerve sensations down the inside of my right leg. At times it feels like intense heat, and other times it feels exactly like cool water is being poured down the inside of my leg.

​Work Aggravation: I work 12-hour shifts as a dispatcher. Sitting in a standard chair makes my back pain unbearable. When I stand up, the numbness and tingling in my hip and leg get much worse. I've resorted to sitting on an exercise ball at work, but it’s so low to the ground that standing up from it causes intense pain.

​Current Neurological Status: I am still able to walk, I still have feeling in my "saddle area" when I wipe, and I do not have foot drop right now.

I have already tried multiple conservative management options, including a full course of physical therapy, bracing, pain medication, nerve medication, muscle relaxers and targeted steroid injections. Unfortunately, none of these treatments have provided lasting relief, and my symptoms have steadily broken down to the mechanical issues and nerve failure I'm experiencing today.

​I messaged my doctor this morning with this exact timeline and my specialist appointment is this Thursday morning. Has anyone else had their symptoms progress like this? How quickly did things move for you?

Has anyone had a direct repair procedure on their pars fracture? I’m finding it hard to find any solid information on recovery and outlook for the future after having the surgery. Surgeon said it was possible to do bilateral para defect repair.

Background: L5-S1: Dynamic grade 1 anterolisthesis of L5 on S1 with bilateral pars defects. Moderate-severe proximal right and lesser left neuroforaminal stenosis, noting combination of inferior pedicular surface, posterior cortical margin/disc, and arthropathic facet
variable slight contact with the exiting right and slight disc contact with the exiting left L5 nerve roots.

Any information is helpful. Thank you!

My surgery date is June 30th and I'm starting to get really anxious about it. Besides the fact I'm dreading having to stay home and down for my recovery, I'm worried about all of the things that can go wrong.

So what are some things y'all wish you knew before you got surgery? Are there any strange issues I might need to worry about or keep an eye out for during recovery that your surgeon didn't discuss? How long was it before you could drive again or leave the house?

Hi all,

I'm a 30 year old woman who was moderately active (basketball, kickboxing). I had occasionally dealt with lower back pain, but nothing major and nothing that didn't go away after a few weeks.

9 weeks ago my hip started hurting badly; two days later, I woke up with a very painful and stiff lower back. It has been downhill since. I got an x-ray, got the pars/spondy diagnosis, and threw myself into PT. I have been doing PT for 6 weeks now, but the pain has only gotten worse. It's so bad that I can't sit at all without pain. I wake up in pain and I go to bed in more pain. Mostly a deep stabby ache near my tailbone, that feels like a knife is jammed in there. Sometimes in my left glute as well. It is extremely aggravated by sitting; standing is not much better. A little nerve pain but mostly mechanical.

This has ruined my life. I can't go into work. I can't do any normal activities--everything involves sitting. I am getting an MRI soon but I just feel so despondent. Does anybody have any advice? Any words of hope? I feel like my life is over and everything has turned so upside down.

I’ve been diagnosed with grade 1 L5-S1 bilateral pars defect spondy since the age of 12 (I’m 23 now). With 11 years of knowing I have spondy & 3+ prior years of trying to get it diagnosed—I’m tired of this crap to say the least. It’s taken over my whole life at times, despite how much I try to not let it.

I have dealt with my back increasingly popping over the years, specifically at the L5 area. If I stretch my legs, or do a specific stretching motion including my glutes (or more poorly worded, ‘clenching my cheeks’), my vertebrae will shift into place when it’s out and create some decompression. When this happens, I can sometimes feel 3-4 pops within the full shift. Some pops are “good pops” that will give me full relief, and the “bad pops” will cause nerve/sciatic pain. Sometimes, it borderline feels like my bones are grinding together when it pops. I know this isn’t great for me, but not always am I trying to pop it purposefully & other times I do need to do it for relief.

My back was feeling rough a couple days prior to this but on Thursday morning, I was laying in bed on my side & barely turned over and my vertebrae popped in the most intense and loud I’ve ever felt/heard. It felt like 6-7 pops all in the same shift—“CRRRRRACK”. Since then, my spinal support has felt so off & I’ve been so weak/in pain. I had a major muscle spasm tonight after going to a calm family outing & I’m just tired of feeling constantly trapped in this body and disability. I’ve been trying so hard to be active again to improve my core strength again & setbacks like this make it so hard. I just want to enjoy life.

I’m really just here to vent, but PLEASE, I would love to hear anyone else’s experience with these pops/shifts.

I’m sorry if this is formatted or worded poorly. I’m tired & in pain. I don’t have healthcare right now, and pain & life things have made it really hard to be in optimal physical shape. The healthcare system is something I could rant about for forever but I want to avoid surgery, and have been highly considering trying injections.

I’m primarily worried about my disc degeneration after all of these pops, shifts & grinds keep occurring and no doctor takes me seriously when I have spoken on the pops in the past.

To end this, I wouldn’t wish this pain upon anyone & I’m sending everyone in this community strength and healing energy ❤️‍🩹

43Y F

I was diagnosed with spondy l5 s1 from a pars defect when I was 28yrs old after suffering from back pain for at least 10 yrs. Turned out my back wasn't hurting from lifting dogs at work... but it was actually from my initial fracture playing volleyball in high school. So began my path to chronic pain...

I have seen neurosurgeons and physical therapists.. then went to PT for years. I got stabbed for targetted injections at my spine, nerve roots and had epidurals with no success. My baseline pain is tolerable, yet annoying.

More recently i have had more significant stabbing, shooting pain and leg cramps/nerve pain... especially after lying down... unfortunately, now i find myself unable to sleep through the night because of the pain (which improves with activity, but still not back to baseline). Even with my (previously helpful) typical exercises and stretching I get no relief. Recent massages, targeted PT, and yoga have still not brought me back to my daily pain tolerance. I am fortunately still able to get on the elliptical every day... which seems to be the only time my back doesnt hurt!

I have never had leg weakness... which I understand would mean surgery is a necessity.

I am terrified of surgery. I have been dealing with chronic pain my whole life and am worried about ASD.

I live alone and have no one who can support me if I decide to move forward with surgery. Also... who will take care of my dog and cat in the post op period?

To complicate everything further... i have experienced horrible GI upset with many opioids and am very worried about the pain following surgery.

What if surgery doesn't even help and makes everything worse?

Rant over. Need a backeotomy. Or... Will this flare up just go away so I can get back to my steady state of pain?