Spondylolisthesis Treatment
Spondylolisthesis can significantly impact your stability and quality of life. At MVM Health, our spine specialists are dedicated to accurately diagnosing and treating the underlying cause of your vertebral slippage, helping you find lasting relief and return to an active life.
Why Choose MVM Health for Spondylolisthesis Treatment?
Spondylolisthesis, a condition where one vertebra slips over another, can be especially debilitating, causing chronic pain and nerve compression that makes it hard to enjoy your favorite activities or live a normal, comfortable life. If you’re dealing with persistent pain from spinal instability, you can start feeling happier and healthier with help from the spine specialists at MVM Health.
A member of our highly trained medical team will be happy to conduct a thorough evaluation to determine how the vertebral slippage is affecting your spinal alignment, nerves, and surrounding structures. After making a precise diagnosis, your doctor will develop a personalized treatment plan to address your unique needs and help you achieve meaningful relief from your back or neck pain as quickly as possible.
How Is Spondylolisthesis Diagnosed?
A precise diagnosis is crucial for treating spondylolisthesis, as this condition can lead to chronic pain and nerve compression. At MVM Health, our spine specialists perform a comprehensive evaluation, including a physical exam and advanced imaging like X-rays and MRIs, to determine the grade of the vertebral slippage and its impact on your spinal nerves. This allows us to create a personalized treatment plan focused on restoring your stability and helping you return to a full, active life.
As one vertebra slips forward over another, it can cause spinal instability, narrow the spinal canal, and put direct pressure on nerve roots, which in turn leads to chronic pain and a loss of functionality. This vertebral slippage can cause several painful secondary conditions as the spine changes. The interventional pain management we offer at MVM Health can help relieve the chronic pain caused by the following issues that stem from spondylolisthesis:
- Spinal Stenosis
- Nerve Root Compression
- Sciatica
- Neurogenic Claudication
- Chronic Axial Back Pain
- Muscle Spasms and Stiffness
What Causes the Pain from Spondylolisthesis?
The spine is a complex structure of vertebrae, discs, nerves, and joints. The pain from spondylolisthesis typically doesn’t come from the slipped vertebra alone, but from how that slippage compresses and destabilizes the surrounding spinal structures.
What Are My Interventional Treatment Options for Spondylolisthesis?
If the pain from your spondylolisthesis becomes significant, we typically recommend either interventional pain management or major spinal surgery. Given that procedures like spinal fusion surgery are highly invasive with a long recovery period, we save surgery as a final resort. Instead, our highly experienced team at MVM Health will work with you to explore a variety of advanced, minimally invasive treatment options so we can manage your pain and restore your stability as safely and effectively as possible.
Our Interventional Options for Spondylolisthesis
Interventional pain management is a cornerstone of treating spondylolisthesis because it often combines powerful treatment with precise testing. This process involves injecting anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medications into specific structures of the spine, such as the epidural space around a compressed nerve or into the small, stressed facet joints. This approach can not only provide significant pain relief but also helps our specialists identify the exact source of your pain, allowing for a more effective long-term treatment strategy.
Interventional pain management treatments for spondylolisthesis may include (but are not limited to):
- Epidural Steroid Injections
- Facet Joint Injections
- Selective Nerve Root Blocks
- Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
- PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Injections
- Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)
What Is the Recovery Period After My Interventional Spine Treatment?
After your interventional procedure for spondylolisthesis, such as an epidural steroid injection, you will be able to return home the same day. We do advise that you arrange for someone to drive you and plan on resting for the remainder of the day. You should expect to start feeling the full therapeutic pain relief from the medication within three to seven days.
Your back or neck may feel a bit sore or tender at the injection site for a few days after the procedure. We recommend you avoid any heavy lifting or strenuous exercise until these symptoms fade to ensure the best possible results. Our team will provide you with specific post-procedure instructions tailored to your treatment.
What Are My Regenerative Therapy Options for Spondylolisthesis?
At MVM Health, we offer a number of regenerative therapies that may help your body heal the damaged soft tissues and joints associated with spondylolisthesis, including PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections and stem cell therapy. We take a holistic and progressive approach to spine care, and our focus on cutting-edge pain relief is unlike any you’ll find elsewhere.
We understand the frustration and exhaustion that can come with the chronic pain of spondylolisthesis. At our practice, our mission is to provide you with compassionate, personalized care that directly addresses the unique cause of your symptoms. If you’re interested in learning more about what we can do for you and how we can help you find lasting relief from your pain, reach out to us at MVM Health to set up your initial consultation.
