Stress fracture/spondylolysis in adult

[irowalot]

Has anyone else had a stress fracture in their L5 vertebra? I've had sharp lower back pain since February, kept rowing on it until it became quite severe + sciatica in my left leg. I kept being told by the physio it was just muscular and kept going back to training sparking big flare-ups. Eventually got diagnosed as a stress fracture (pars defect/spondylolysis) at the end of May and told I had 6-8 weeks recovery. I kept biking and swimming but often got flare-ups after sessions so have taken the last two weeks of complete rest. Still getting flare-ups at the slightest strain, if I so much as sit in a funny position or try to run for a bus or anything. It's a pretty sharp stabbing pain when I get it.

Has anyone else had this? It's not very common in adults apparently (I'm 27 yo female), I've rowed for 7 years with high levels of training and never had an injury like this before. How long will it take to heal? I'm getting very frustrated with not being able to train. My physio doesn't say very much except that I need to strengthen my core (I have quite good core generally but doing core exercises hurts my back atm).

I'd never heard of this injury before and would love to hear from someone who has had it (and preferably made a full recovery )

[truth1ness]

How were you diagnosed? x-ray? mri? Were you checked for any disc bulges/herniation and have they been definitely ruled out? Does it hurt more when you are bent over or extended way back?

[irowalot]

Hi, it was diagnosed by MRI, there is no problem with the disks they are all fine. It doesn't hurt too bad when I bend or twist, it is only when I use my lega for anything (walking/cycling etc.) thanks!

[jamesg]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondylolysis

Presumably you've read this already.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

If you keep on injuring it you could end up with spondylolisthesis and probably headed for surgery.

If I were you I'd get checked by an orthopedic surgeon. L5-S1 injuries are quite common and can get pretty debilitating if they progressively get worse throughout the years.

[irowalot]

Thanks for your replies! Yeah my physio said that if it doesn't heal then it might require surgery but I just don't know why it isn't healing. I would think that just cycling shouldn't damage it but it does. It seems to get better with rest and I keep thinking that maybe it has healed, and then I go to the gym and it seems pretty ok but as soon as I have cooled down I get these shooting pains just the same as before. Even just from stationary biking or arm weights (no squats or ergs or anything). Maybe I just need to be more patient... it's been almost 5 weeks of total rest now, I am not designed to be sedentary! Going crazy! I will give it another week and then contact a doctor again. Thanks for your help

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

The "golden" rule is if you haven't felt significantly better after 3 months of rest/inactivity then you might need surgery.

At least that's what I've heard from a couple of orthopedic surgeons.

[wgr]

While I know nothing about spondylolysis, I know a fair amount about strengthening bones. I have osteoporosis and compression fractures in my lower vertebrae.

I have had very good success treating my condition with strength training (which may not be advisable in your current state) and supplementing with vitamin D3, vit K2-MK4 and calcium (500 to 600 mg). I take Vit K2-MK4 based on Japanese research on osteoporotic women. Over a 24 month study, the women taking vitamin K2 MK4 had far fewer fractures than the control group not taking the vitamin. If you want to read the original study, go to

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 3.515/full

Taking vit K2-MK4 should strengthen your bones and may help your stress fracture. You might also want to check out the National Osteoporosis Foundation website at:

http://www.inspire.com/groups/national- ... oundation/

There you will find discussions on what people are doing to strengthen their bones and why they are doing what they do. You will learn more about the doses of these supplements to be taking. Keep in mind this is a single data point of what worked for me. You should do your own research to decide what is best for you.

Good luck.

[truth1ness]

The strange thing in your case is spondys are usually exacerbated more by extension than flexion, hence why I asked about the discs. And it sounds like all your triggers are in a flexed position. Does extension (arching backwards) hurt? This mckenzie exercise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBOp-ugJbTQ involves extension and is usually great for disc problems but exacerbates spondys (because that's what loads the facet bone), maybe give it a try (gently) and see if it helps or hurts. Now you might try a spondy exercise next to see if that makes it better or worse like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpUTtFtX ... re=related

There's still more you can do before surgery which you want to avoid if you can in general. Besides the test exercises above to make sure it really is the spondy that is causing the pain, there is also the option of bracing for several weeks, bone stimulators, etc. Loss of hip mobility could also be a factor. Tight psoas could be pulling the lumbar vertebrae forward. Let us know which of those exercises help/hurt.

[JazzB]

I have been struggling with something that sounds very similar. I am actually going for an MRI tomorrow to try and get a more accurate diagnosis.

I hurt my back in December last year and took a week off and went back to gym but the pain returned so I took two weeks off and returned to gym for about 4 months with little to no pain and then all of sudden the pain returned and it was painful enough to put a stop to my working out.

I have been resting now for almost two months and I still have a little pain, it is not constant pain but its definitely there. I tried to do a light light work out the other day with TRX cables and some light stretching and that seem to aggravate my back. This is such a frustrating injury but if you keep going back to soon like I did and get impatient its just going to keep getting worse and you won't be able to return on a consistant basis. From the sounds of it I am in a very similar boat and just want to get back to working out and being active but every time I feel like I had a enough sitting around and resting and try something light I feel my back isnt ready.

It seems as if you have to rest until there is absolutely no pain and from there start rehabbing the injury guided by your doctor.

Hope its heals soon!!