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[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

thank you all very much, Deb Payne