Dear Esther,
I am a 55 year-old woman, very fit and a yoga student, based in UK. I have good core stability (at least I thought I had; but this still happened). I have tried to create length in my spine and good postuer. I have recently been diagnosed with a 5 mm anterior listhesis at L4/L5. Also, I think other stuff regarding the facet joint and disc. I had MRI. I had bad pain on the right in the beginning it is subsiding now and I am doing some yoga again. I am due to see a surgeon soon and would like your advice about surgery.
I am pretty sure they will suggest this. I feel it may cause more problems and will only have it if i must, however, the segment may be unstable and unsafe to do nothing.
You had surgery and then the pain returned and you had to find another way.
Would you seek to avoid surgery given your experience?
I realise you do not know much about my condition and obviously I take your advice carefully.
Do you think I could avoid surgery for this problem? and if so what exercises/fitness do I need to do?
I am at my wits end and frightened about my future as surgery seems so radical and against everything I have tried to do in my life. I will probably be unable to continue with my yoga.
Has anyone else out there any experience of anterolisthesis? I ony found one so far.
many thanks.
10 years 2 months ago
08/25/2013 - 3:15pm
Dear Yoga nut and Esther I am duplicating this post that I wrote re Monica with spondylisis.
I think there are likely many of us out there with variations of a theme. Some may not have the name because they have not had MRI. Here is the post I just entered to Monica's post earlier in year.
"I am looking forward to hearing what Esther has to say on this too because I am dealing with similar situation to 2 differnt people on variation of this subject in this forum. After reviewing mri reports my PT told me no hiking, long walks, many yoga poses out , gardening out.... etc till inflamation goes down. BUt had to BEG for excercise to keep me from going bonkers with concerns of more injury , or from pain, or from atrophy or emotional well being from lack of excerise! I have found Spondyinfo.com to also be a great imput I spoke to Justin who writes the spondy posts and has spondy himself and he gets lots of people wondering what about their yoga practice. I loved meeting Esther in Tucson but could not budget time or money then to do full workshop . Using book and video here but really looking forward to more specifics with yoga. As a part time yoga teacher with Certification I am greatly concerned with what I teach and more importantly for now hurting myself more. I have removed myself from others classes till I work out the poses. YES ESTHER WE NEED YOUR VIDEO :) I also would love to connect youand Justin at Spondyinfo.comI would love to be of help in any way I can . thank you. PS also because I have issue in both neck and lumbar I am very easy to throw out of whack. ":)
Linda