Spondylolisthesis Treatment
Your orthopaedic team will first try to treat the pain and discomfort of spondylolisthesis with non-surgical treatment. Treatment options aside from surgery may include:
- Prescription and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or pain medications
- Injections of steroids or anti-inflammatory medications
- Physical therapy, including exercises to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles
If non-surgical treatment does not relieve the symptoms within six months, surgery may be necessary. The orthopaedic surgeons at MedStar Health have extensive training in advanced and innovative surgical procedures to treat spondylolisthesis, including:
- Laminectomy, or decompression, removes the bones or ligaments that press on the nerves or spinal cord.
- Spinal fusion unites vertebrae together to help stabilize the spine.
After surgery with MedStar Orthopaedic Institute, and sports performance training with MedStar Sports Medicine, Charlie DeMuth, a Dickinson College midfielder, is back in the game. Charlie started playing competitive lacrosse at the age of five. Throughout adolescence, he suffered from with back pain. Dr. Justin Tortolani diagnosed him with a common lacrosse sports medicine injury: stress fractures in his back.