Spondylolisthesis is a condition related to spine instability that gets triggered owing to the misalignment of vertebrae in the spinal column. Besides causing sore back pain, it also drastically affects the lower body muscles (hamstring & glutes) and compels the concerned person to halt physical activities.
Chiropractic treatment offered by the top chiropractors at Los Angeles provides a non-surgical approach to cure Spondylolisthesis. By using spinal manipulation and a couple of other useful techniques, it reduces the muscle tension caused due to the misalignment.
Let’s understand how chiropractic treatment can treat spondylolisthesis.
- The spine that runs down the back is made up of 33 individual, interlocking bones that are called vertebrae.
- All these vertebrae together form the spinal column that protects the spinal cord as well as the spinal nerves.
- In between, 2 adjacent vertebrae except for the atlas (C1) and the axis (C2) in the neck, a cushion of fibrocartilage which is known as the intervertebral disc (IVD) is positioned that connects each pair of vertebrae as a principal joint.
- Each vertebra is aligned over its adjacent vertebrae to form a space in-between the entire vertebral column through which the spinal cord travels down from the neck to the lower back region, thereby forming a curvature.
- In spondylolisthesis, one vertebra in the lower back region slips forward onto the bone beneath it. This triggers spine instability and leads to spine disorder.
- One of the potent culprits behind such misalignment is destabilizing of the facet joints that provide support and stability to the vertebrae.
- Due to the misalignment of one of the vertebrae in the spinal column, the free space that summons the spinal cord gets potentially narrowed down.
- The disturbed vertebrae exert immense pressure on the spinal cord as well as the spinal nerves that are connected with the spine.
- Owing to such chaos in the spine region, the person starts feeling a shooting pain in his/her lower back.
- Eventually, he/she has to halt all sorts of physical activities such as playing sports, traveling, or even just brisk walking.
- If you are wondering how you have got trapped within the clutches of spondylolisthesis, then these could be the potential causes:
- Overextension of the spine
- A congenital defect in the spine
- Fracture in the spine
- A traumatic sports injury
- A lethargic lifestyle or wrong posture
- Major types of spondylolisthesis detected in patients by chiropractors across the globe are:
- Congenital spondylolisthesis: A congenital defect that deteriorates with time and culminates in spondylolisthesis.
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis: When the vertebrae suffer a crack or fracture that weakens it and leads to misalignment.
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis: Occurs when the disc (IVD) that cushions the vertebrae starts losing out its water content due to which the vertebrae slip down from their position.
- Traumatic spondylolisthesis: When the vertebrae slip following a traumatic injury.
- Post-surgical Spondylolisthesis: A slippage caused by a spinal surgery (a spinal surgery involves intense risk of devastating aftermaths).
- The most striking aspect of suffering from spondylolisthesis is that in some cases, the patient will not even feel any symptom or pain.
- It is only when the pressure on the spinal cord becomes intolerable, the patient starts feeling symptoms such as:
- Stiffness in the lower back
- Muscle cramps in Hamstrings
- Difficulty in standing or walking
- Numbness and tingling pain in one of the legs or feet
- The best part of undergoing a chiropractic treatment to treat spondylolisthesis is that it’s completely non-surgical as well devoid of any medications or painkillers.
- To begin the treatment, the chiropractor will evaluate the injury to decide a procedure to be followed throughout the treatment to deliver the best results.
- The chiropractor will derive an extensive history of injury and the symptoms of the patient.
- Based on the intensity of pain, the chiropractor will ask him/her to get an MRI report or a bone scan.The patient will be made to do some stretching moments. This is basically for the chiropractor to get an idea about:
- How severe is the pain and condition?
- Which are the restricted joints?
- How long would the treatment be? (tentatively)
- After having better insights into the injury, the chiropractor will start the rehab. To release the stiffness caused by prolonged periods of injury, chiropractors will use manual therapies such as spinal manipulation.
- The light thrust exerted by the chiropractor using raw hands duces the muscle inflammation in the affected area. By stretching the soft tissues, it will stimulate the nervous system.
- Besides spinal manipulation, there are a handful of other complementary techniques that a chiropractor entails in the treatment. These are:
- Flexion-distraction technique: Slow pumping is directed to the injured area with the help of a specialized table. The primary focus is to reduce muscle tension and recuperate lost mobility.
- Trigger-point therapy: A sophisticated form of spinal manipulation. Controlled pressure is exerted on some focal points to reduce muscle tension and to neutralize pain from its very core.
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy: To treat injured tissues and accelerate the recovery.
- Stretching and resistance training: To resuscitate the muscle memory and its lost strength.
- Chiropractic treatment focuses on delivering a long-lasting recovery from spondylolisthesis so that the concerned person can live without stumbling to pain and cramps.
- Here are a few tips to prevent the pain:
- Avoid sitting in a single position for a prolonged period as it creates muscle tension
- Consider applying an ice bag/hot water bottle. One of the best home remedies.
- Eat healthy and clean to nourish the recovering muscle.
- Don’t start any sort of physical activity without being allowed by the chiropractor to do so.
Conclusion
To get rid of that pain and resort to a stage where your body allows you to push your limits, you need to seek chiropractic treatment to treat spondylolisthesis immediately.
Book an appointment with CRM Wellness and get treated by the best Los Angeles chiropractor today.
Click here to read: How Do Chiropractors Treat Migraines?