[RC] SPONDYLOLISTHESIS experience - Chastain, Shannon L.
Debbie cannot post to ridecamp so I am sending this out for her.
Shannon
Subject: SPONDYLOLISTHESIS experience
Dear Ridecamp
I been a lurker for 5 years and have learned so much from you all. I
can read Ridecamp at work but can't post to it and don't have a computer
at home right now. I have a serious back diagnosis and privacy
issues prevent docs from telling me names of others who've had this. I
would really like to hear from distance riders who had any experience
with SPONDYLOLISTHESIS, particularly L4 forward of L5.
It's grade 2, more than 1 centimeter, and I have intermittent leg and foot
numbness as well as varying degrees of hip and buttock pain. The
pain is usually worse at night at early morning although sometimes all
day. Riding doesn't seem to affect onset or duration. Sometimes
worse after riding, sometimes not. Sometimes the pain is excruciating but
usually just below that.
Chiropractic adjustment helps, but very briefly, a day or two.
Neurosurgeon recommends laminectomy with posterolateral fusing with rod and
screws. Online research says many months to a year for full
recovery and several accounts say chronic pain from the hardware and residual
numbness. the doc says fusion doesn't always work, either. The pain
is one thing but this progressive numbness is concerning me. I've had two
times when my leg just sort of wasn't there when I stepped down on it.
Doc says wait for surgery too long and I may have numbness and weakness
anyway.
I want to continue to ride and progress toward my goal of doing 50
miles. I've done one 30 and one 25 and been riding NATRC for 5
years.
Please help me make a decision. email me
directly: dpayne at ucom dot net
