ChuckD

@S1PittsThanks for that, looks v similar to my problem, just one level down in my case. Technical term is spodiolisthesis, which means nerve roots to legs get compressed by vertebra that has slid forward and associated disc wear. Great to hear about the successful surgery.

@S1PittsMany thanks for that perspective - was your issue also instability where you needed fusion surgery or something a bit different? Great to hear the outcome was so good and encouraging for my own situation. I’m ok at the moment, but it feels that the time for the knife is drawing nearer as the problem flares up more frequently and easily these days. Happy skiing !

Thanks very much guys, appreciate your additional perspectives. Clearly there is no silver bullet, one-way cure-all and I’ll also be keeping strength and fitness up and doing whatever I can to delay surgery. But at some point, given the instability of the structure at L5/S1, I’m likely to have to address it with surgery before I start having motor or other issues with the L5 nerve supply.

@Buxrus thanks a mill for taking an interest in this. Perhaps I can get in touch with you directly, but I don’t have any movement limitations or weakness in walking on heels/toes. I do Pilates once a week and a short set of stretching and planking exercises every morning and evening. Usually the nerve nuisance settles after a few weeks, but it’s been more persistent this year. Anti-inflammatories help to some extent. I haven’t had perineural injections yet and the last MRI is from April 2022. I can share the scan and report with you, but it’s a bilateral para defect with Grade 1 spondy and associated significant restriction of L5 nerve roots and “de-roofing” of the disc between L5 and S1. I have had two appointments with a neurosurgeon who specialises in spinal surgery.

@Marcothis is a pretty old thread, but I’m hoping you may still be dialled in and can let me know how things are 9 years on? I’m 58 and have something called a pars defect at L5 which has created instability and spondiolisthesis at the L5/S1 level so I get pins & needles and pressure in my right foot which is getting worse and is aggravated by skiing. The fix for this is a fusion, but something I’m pretty cautious on given mixed results amongst the few people I know who have had one (incl my mother). You and others on this thread seem to have mostly fared well, but I wondered how things have been over a number of years post-op?