Spondylolysis Treatments

Treatment

If you have no symptoms, no treatment is needed.

If you have symptoms, treatment may include:

Exercise Restriction

Do not do athletic activities for several weeks to several months. In general, this restriction should last until the symptoms are gone.

Back Brace

Your doctor may suggest that you wear a back brace. This will help relieve pain. About 4-6 weeks of bracing may be needed. The brace should limit extension of the lower (lumbar) spine.

Physical Therapy

To relieve the pain and prevent recurrences, a physical therapist can teach you:

Exercises to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles, which stabilize the spine
Proper exercise and sports techniques to help prevent overuse and further injury
Hamstring stretches (very important)

Medication

The doctor may give you medications for pain relief.

Surgery

Surgery may be needed if:

There is injury to the nerve
There is high-grade spondylolisthesis (more than 50% slippage)
Medication, rest, activity modification, and physical therapy don't relieve the pain

Two procedures are usually needed:

Decompressive laminectomy — removal of excess bone and tissue that is putting pressure on the spinal nerves
Spinal fusion—fusing together of the two involved vertebrae to prevent further slippage of the vertebra