I am 56 year old Nurse with an X-ray that shows spondylolisthesis grade 1 my MRI shows grade 1 anterolisthesis and advanced/severe facet arthropathy. Call it what you will I have most recently been out of work for 6 days and have applied for FMLA to protect my job. The hamstring pain, tightness, and electric shock that shoots down my right leg to my foot is excruciating. I can walk 3 or 4 feet and then I have to bend over to relieve it. I am a recovering addict so NSAIDs acetaminophen, anti-seizure medication for nerve pain and rest are what helps after about four days. I feel so depressed and fearful during these episodes and I feel like I just don't want to live like that. This last episode I am not sure if my brief yoga practice initiated the exacerbation or what it was. I am getting ready to get back to work and I am afraid with every movement it will happen again. I am trying to take it one day at a time and am scheduled for my second epidural. The cause old age ... degenerative arthritis and 25 years of nursing...

I had degenerative arthritis of my neck when I was about 50. After being sent from Dr. to Dr. I demanded to see a rheumatologist. He took an x-ray, send no wonder I hurt, send I had degenerative arthritis, around C5 I think. I never had neck pain only headaches and muscle spasms in my shoulders. He gave me Diclofenac, worked like a miracle and took it for years. I am now 64, considered myself healthy. One year ago I caught my tiny 4 year old granddaughter in the pool over my head. The sharp hyperextension of my back caused the spondylolisthesis in my lower back. I probably already had arthritis there but was pain free. After a year of PT and taking pain meds at least twice a day and muscle relaxants, I am considering fusion of L4-L5-S1. The last is the most severe; I can feel the bone sticking out of my back. "Only" grade 2, also severe spinal stenosis. In engineering terms it seems like this will only get worse and I will be older and less able to deal with surgery. Concerned about the after surgery pain, long recovery and they say will still have some back pain.

I hurt my back over 25 years ago, and have been in a lot of pain with my back, hips, legs. Often crying with the pain. The doctors have never been bothered about my back. I only found out, when I visited a physo. looked at my back and said you have spondylolisthesis, but nothing had been done about it and now I have been diagnosed with ms. I just do my housework over a week as that is all I can cope with.

I have a grade 3 (75%) L5/S1 spondylolisthesis - my consultant says it is congenital. I refused a spine fusion 5 years ago, although I have suffered intermittent pain it hasn't been too bad until recently. My life feels as though it has just stopped and I am uncertain now as to how to proceed. I was always anti-surgery and kept fit and active, however that doesn't seem to be effective any longer.

I have spondylolisthesis and the pain in my buttocks and legs is horrid. Pain medications don't help, and the doctor won't give me an injection. So I have been trying massage and acupuncture. It helps. My pain most days is about half of what it was before I tried these.

Although I have been told that my spondylolisthesis is degenerative, the pain began about three years ago after a running injury. Since that time, I have lived with pain and stiffness. I thought something was wrong with my hip and so was surprised with the diagnosis. I am planning to have a fusion in July. I cannot wait. I don't like feeling limited. I want to get back to my active life.