If your child suffers from a spinal cord injury, they are more than likely at risk of having spondylolisthesis. In fact, more than one out of every four children is at risk of suffering from spondylolisthesis during their lifetimes. This condition, however, can be difficult to identify, and many children do not even recognize that they have this type of injury, let alone a diagnosis of spondylolisthesis.
What Is Spondylolisthesis?
Spondylolisthesis occurs when the vertebrae and the spinal cord of one or more vertebrae separate from the vertebral body. As a result, there is no longer a space for the nerves and muscle groups that make up the spine to pass through. This means that the child cannot breathe correctly, and they will suffer from severe pain if they try to move their arms or legs. For this reason, it is crucial for any parent to have a medical checkup performed on their child as soon as possible after experiencing any spinal cord injury.
The important thing to remember when your child has spondylolisthesis is that the problem can sometimes be difficult to diagnose as it often presents as nothing more than ordinary neck pain. A chiropractor who specializes in treating spinal injuries such as spondylolisthesis may be able to help determine whether your child’s symptoms warrant further examination and treatment.
In most cases, spondylolisthesis surgery is not needed. However, in some cases, spondylolisthesis may occur, and it does not appear to be going away. This situation is often referred to as chronic spondylolisthesis. In these cases, spondylolisthesis causes continue to interfere with the normal function of the spine, and treatment by surgery is the only way to prevent permanent spinal injury.
Causes of Spondylolisthesis
There are many different ways in which spondylolisthesis occurs, but the most common cause is a traumatic injury to the spinal cord. This type of trauma can occur from a fall or from direct trauma to the spinal cord. Traumatic injuries to the spinal cord include a car accident, a whiplash injury, a sports injury, a blow to the head, or even a blow to the neck by a flying object.
There are many different ways to treat spinal cord injuries, including pain management, chiropractic care, physiotherapy, and physical therapy. In many cases, when a tear is found, the doctor will recommend that your child undergo a surgery called a laminectomy, which involves removing the damaged section of the spinal cord so that the nerves and muscle groups can grow back naturally
If you have a question about your child’s condition, it is important that you get the answers before it gets worse by visiting a doctor’s office for a consult. Ask your chiropractor questions that you may be unfamiliar with, such as how common the condition is, the exact symptoms that your child is experiencing, and how severe his or her condition is. Ask questions to ensure that you know how serious the condition really is so that you can take appropriate action to address the situation once it has been identified.
Once your child’s doctor has determined that spondylolisthesis has occurred, he or she will recommend a surgical procedure to correct the problem and prevent the recurrence of spondylolisthesis. This procedure, often known as laminectomy, is used to reduce the size of the affected nerve so that it cannot grow back in the affected area.
Spondylolisthesis Symptoms
When your child begins to experience symptoms, such as pain and weakness, it is important to keep in mind that the nerve itself may have been affected by the spondylolisthesis. Therefore, when your child starts to complain of pain, you need to seek the advice of your doctor so that you can be sure that your child’s condition is not the result of a spinal cord injury that is responsible for the pain.
If you think that your child may have spondylolisthesis, it is important to get your child checked into physical therapy to help to make sure that the nerve roots are being damaged. This will help to prevent them from growing back in the future.
For more information about spondylolisthesis, you should contact a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. To learn more about spondylolisthesis treatments, call Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas today!
