I've read some of the posting's here and it's like you are in my mind. I feel and think some of the same things. I've been diagnosed with spondylolisthesis in November 2009. I've had back pain forever it seems but it was always just when I sat to long and went to get up it would hurt. Then one day the pain didn't go away and I went to the doctor and that's when they diagnosed me. I've never had an MRI although people tell me I should get one . They did x rays though. I feel alone a lot and would LOVE a support group for this. It seems no one understands the pain and how depressing it is. I feel useless and old. I want so badly to be where I once was. I can't play with my kids like I use to. Some days are better than others but I'm never totally pain free. Currently I am doing PT and I take OTC medications. I think I need something more though and am returning to the doctor to see what more can be done.

My spondylolisthesis involved L4 to S1. I have other health problems, and I am 81 years old. Injections did not help, in fact seemed to make the problem worse. I had the surgery almost 6 months ago, and was almost immediately pain free. I no longer need pain pills. I highly recommend the surgery, but only if you can find a neurosurgeon with a proven track record in this condition. Mine has a 95% success rate in this particular surgery. I know other people who used other doctors and are still in pain, so be selective.

I'm a white male 49yrs old and have had chronic lower back pain for 20 plus yrs now. Like many people have tried everything under the sun to help relieve the pain and nothing is working. I have done my research and to find out more on this and just want to live life as pain free as possible. Some days are ok and other days are rough just waking up and getting out of bed. I just want to be free from the pain and be able to do things that I could do 10 yrs ago.

I've been living with Spondylolisthesis stenosis L1-L5 since the year 2000. I had the fusion surgery back in 2004. Unfortunately, my condition did not improve. Consequently, I live with chronic back pain. All the conservative treatments did not work for me. Now I regret having the surgery because it did not work. I had no choice but to have the surgery because my quality of life was near zero. I take pain medications around the clock, and they don't help often. I pray a lot. It's a very difficult condition to live with. I'm looking for a support group to perhaps share my concern\story with just for the support. No one seems to understand the pain that a person goes through with my condition.

In my first year of college in 1972 I started having bad back pain, which radiated down the back of my legs. I finally had an X-ray and it was determined I had spondylolisthesis of L5. This is many years ago and the treatment was to wear a corset with metal stays for three months. The stays were bent for my specific condition. I had to put it on before I even got up in the morning in my dorm room and wear it all day. After three months, it was less painful and I only wore it intermittently. For the next 10 years, I kept it and wore it sometimes, but it became less and less. I often asked my husband to push down hard with his thumb on the affected area. I don't know why, but it helped. I haven't had any symptoms for many years, but am curious about what another patient wrote. She said when thin, it was worse. I was very thin in college and that is when it was bad. I have gained some pounds over the years and now there is no pain. Curious.

I am 28 years old and was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis at age 12. I have lived with intermittent pain most of my life. Immediately upon diagnosis, I started various treatments: medication, rest, physical therapy, and spent nearly two years in a back brace. As an adult, I have occasional flare-ups, which I treat with rest and heat. Just last week I had a major setback after spending three days babysitting my niece and nephew. It seems the constant stress was more than my back could take, and I spent the next 2 days unable to get even sit up in bed. I am deeply worried now because my husband and I plan to start our own family soon, and I am unsure of the pain and complications that may result from this condition as it relates to a pregnancy - and obviously the stress that constantly lifting and chasing babies around the house will cause. I'm wondering if surgery now (before having children) makes sense, or if this will bear its own set of risks when it comes to pregnancy and child rearing.