I have to make a decision as to whether or not to have this surgery. It would be a double fusion (I believe that’s what it’s called): L4-L5-S1. Both of my facet joints are broken at L4 (spondylolysis) which is contributing to spondylolisthesis of L5 and S1. I have been to chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapy, tried multitudes of medications, tried ignoring the problem, and also recently had a bilateral epidural in an attempt to relieve the problem. I have been told the only way to fix the spondylolysis is through a fusion. I am 31 years old and have been having back problems for quite some time now. Sometimes my back flares up, and I literally can’t walk… crawling to the bathroom is about the only I manage to do when I have a flare up. I have been told that at some point in my life I will need a fusion, and I basically have to decide whether to do it now, or continue dealing with the pain and have it later.
Any suggestions/experience/advice anyone has with this particular surgery would be extremely helpful.
Thanks! 
Does Anyone Have Any Experience They Can Tell Me About A Lumbar Spinal Fusion?
Tags: About, Anyone, Does, Experience, Fusion, Have, Lumbar, Spinal, Tell, They
This entry was posted on July 13, 2010, 4:06 pm and is filed under Pain Management and Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
#1 by Anonymous on July 13, 2010 - 4:37 pm
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Find out what your meyerding’s grading scale is (if you don’t know) first. Then, try doing abdominal stabilizing exercises like ab bracing or focused crunches. Also, get your psoas muscle stretched, as this muscle attaches to the front of the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral discs and will contribute to the forward slippage of your spondylo. If you could go to a doc (chiropractor) who uses the “Thompson supine spondylo” adjustment, then that should also help. If that doesn’t help, go see a Cox flexion/distraction chiropractor. The LAST thing that you want is to get surgery without first trying all of the conservative approaches possible…Good luck
#2 by MrNeutra on July 13, 2010 - 8:26 pm
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3 reasons for back surgery:
1. paralysis
2 loss of bowel or bladder control
3 No relief, w/ meds, therapy, chiropractic and quality of life has deteriorated to the point you are willing to risk surgical complications.
ie: when picking neurosurgeon research infection record. call borad of med examiners. do homework.