Does Spondylolysis or Spondylolisthesis cause back pain?
Spondylolysis (different from the above spondylosis) is a condition where there is a crack in a small piece of bone in your spine called the ‘pars interarticularis’. We have a “pars” on each side of each of our vertebrae. These bones are what connect the front of an individual vertebra, to the back of the vertebra. When a spondylolysis occurs on both sides of the spine, Spondylolisthesis can result where the top vertebra slips forward on the one below, and great pressure and stress is placed across the spinal segment, causing pain at the facet joints, spinal ligaments and discs, as well as the back muscles. Spondylolisthesis can cause low back pain over time as changes occur to the bones, joints, and ligaments that hold the vertebral column together. This condition is a common cause of back pain in children secondary to a congenital defect in the spine or as the result of repetitive micro-trauma during childhood. Despite the congenital nature of this disorder, symptoms are made worse w
