Saturday 16 May 2015

Spondylolisthesis - One of the Main Causes of Spinal Stenosis

Spondylolisthesis is a painful condition in which one suffers due to the slip of a bone in the spine. The bone may slip forward or backward forward out of the proper position onto the bone below it. The condition in which the vertebra slips forward on a lower vertebra is referred to as anterolisthesis and if it slips backward, is called as retrolisthesis. This condition in a person may further lead to an abnormality of the spine as well as a contraction of the spinal canal or solidity of the exiting nerve roots. It commonly occurs in the low back but can also occur in the mid and upper back and neck.

One of the most common causes of Spondylolisthesis is irregular wear on the cartilage and bones, such as arthritis. Other causes include bone disease and fractures. Sportsperson performing sport activities such as gymnastics, weight lifting, and football, suffers from great deal of stress on the bones in the lower back. These activities also require that the contestant continually overstretch the spine. Over-stretching can cause a stress fracture on either sides or both sides of the vertebra making a spinal bone weak and shift out of place. Some of the common symptoms of this condition are lower back pain, pain, numbness, tingling sensation etc.

The narrowing of spaces in the spinal canal is called Spinal Stenosis. It is mainly caused due to Spondylolisthesis causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. This condition can lead to severe leg pain. One can suffer from this condition due to many reasons including aging, arthritis, tumors in the spine, heredity, or trauma. It causes pain in low back and in the legs. The nerves that direct muscle power and sensation in the legs may be pinched by stenosis. Other symptoms include-
  • Frequent falling, clumsiness
  • Difficulty in walking and pain
  • Deadness, tingling.

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