Spondylolisthesis, a lower back problem, can be asymptomatic but can cause lower back pain, muscle stiffness, weakness, and spinal deformities. It occurs when one vertebra slips forward, causing pressure on surrounding nerves. There are five types, and causes include birth defects, stress injuries, fractures, and degenerative conditions. Symptoms can improve when the spine is fully extended, and diagnosis is usually done through X-rays or CT scans. Severity is graded on a five-point scale.
Many patients with spondylolisthesis, which is a lower back problem, may experience no symptoms. The condition is often diagnosed incidentally, in the course of investigation of other symptoms. When spondylolisthesis symptoms do occur, they can be mild or severe and include lower back pain, muscle stiffness and weakness, and even spinal deformities.
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward, protruding from the vertebra below. The displaced vertebra can put pressure on surrounding nerves, causing pain and other symptoms. There are five types of spondylolisthesis. Causes of spondylolisthesis include birth defects, stress injuries, fractures, and degenerative conditions. Spondylolisthesis usually occurs in the lumbar spine.
Common symptoms of spondylolisthesis typically include lower back pain. The lower back can be painful to the touch. Pain and muscle tension may extend to the buttocks, legs and thighs. Depending on the amount of pressure placed on the nerves, spondylolisthesis can cause unexplained weakness in the legs. Spondylolisthesis can cause changes in gait, typically a waddling motion when walking, a backward sway, and a protruding lower abdomen.
Spondylolisthesis symptoms and pain usually improve slightly when the spine is fully extended. Patients may find that their spondylolisthesis symptoms worsen when the spine is compressed or twisted. The severity of spondylolisthesis symptoms may not necessarily correspond to the severity of the patient’s condition or the degree of slippage of the patient’s vertebrae.
Spondylolisthesis can cause visible spinal deformities. Generally, the hamstrings become abnormally tight before spinal deformity is evident. Medical professionals believe that a displaced vertebra must slip more than 50% out of position before visible spinal deformities can occur. Spondylolisthesis can cause a dimple to appear in the lower back, corresponding to the location of the displaced vertebra.
Spondylolisthesis can cause muscle spasms surrounding the affected vertebrae. Most patients with spondylolisthesis have no loss of motion or decreased range of motion. Spondylolisthesis symptoms can be caused by hyperextension of the lower spine. X-rays are often used to diagnose spondylolisthesis, but CT scans or CAT scans may sometimes be needed to diagnose more complex cases of spondylolisthesis.
Spondylolisthesis is usually graded on a five-point scale, depending on how far the upper vertebra has moved forward. A case of grade I spondylolisthesis applies when a vertebra has slipped forward by less than 25%. As the severity of the slip increases, the grade diagnosis progresses up the scale. Someone whose vertebra has slipped completely off the underlying vertebra is diagnosed with grade V spondylolisthesis.
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