Does a Spondylolisthesis Diagnosis Mean I Need Surgery?

A spondylolisthesis diagnosis does not necessarily mean that a patient will require surgery. In fact, the opposite is true - only about 20 percent of cases lead to surgery, which means four out of five people with symptomatic vertebral slippage can manage the pain, stiffness, and other symptoms non-surgically. But why do some people need surgery for spondylolisthesis, while others are able to make do with pain medicine, exercise, stretching, corticosteroid injections, and other conservative treatment methods?

How and When Surgery Becomes an Option

An accurate spondylolisthesis diagnosis requires a physician to determine the underlying causes of the condition, as well as the severity of the vertebral slippage. In addition, if the condition is producing symptoms beyond focal back pain and stiffness, a physician or spine specialist will need to determine whether the displaced vertebrae is pressing on an adjacent nerve root or the spinal cord. Regardless of whether nerve compression is present, symptoms typically can be managed using a regimen of conservative treatment methods. This is also true even if the vertebral slippage is related to a cracked vertebra (isthmic spondylolisthesis), although severe vertebral fractures suffered through traumatic injury might require emergency surgery to stabilize the spine.

Trial and Error Might Be Necessary

It may take some time to determine the right combination of treatments, because no two cases are alike. During the course of treatment, a patient should inform his or her doctor about any change in the symptoms, for better or worse. The treatment plan can be adjusted accordingly. However, if chronic symptoms persist after several weeks or months of conservative treatment, it may be time to discuss your surgical options with your physician or spine specialist. The most important thing to remember is that surgery usually is the last treatment resort for people who receive a spondylolisthesis diagnosis.