A while back we discussed a 3 step approach to reducing pain associated with spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis.
One of these steps was to reduce inflammation.
This post will give you a few exact ways to help you take the important step of reducing inflammation and relieving pain. By the time you read this blog post you will not only understand what inflammation is, but you will also have some exact steps and contacts to help you with your pain.
Stretching, strengthening and improving mobility are all great for keeping spondy related pain at bay, but little will help if severe inflammation is present. Inflammation is a common cause of many uncomfortable days and nights
associated with having a spondylolisthesis or spondylolysis.
What Is Inflammation?
First of all inflammation is not a bad thing, without it many of your injuries would never heal. However, too much inflammation over time IS a very bad thing.
Inflammation is simply a protective step by your body to help start the healing process. If this process is never allowed to run its course or it continues to repeat, then problems can arise.
As we discussed in our 3 step approach blog post, your body’s repetitive poor movement in combination with tight and weak muscles force extra stress and strain on the low back. For those with spondy’s and an already vulnerable spine, this may cause additional slipping in the area of your fracture.
Once this additional slipping occurs, the body goes into repair mode. The body begins its recovery process by using inflammation as the main source of help. Ideally inflammation would run its course, healing would occur, and none of us would be reading this site because everyone would feel great.
But, as you and I know, those who suffer from spondy’s have areas that are very tight and weak which can lead to poor movement and repetive stress. Instead of the healing process taking course, the body makes adjustments so you can perform daily functions while you deal with the pain caused by the inflammation at the site of the slip.
You may alter the way you walk, sit or stand. All of these adjustments then put stress and strain on muscle groups that are not meant to handle the stress. Muscle spasms along with inflammation in soft tissue may occur.
Your body goes from trying to be the nice guy and helping you out, to the bad guy and full of pain.
You are left with inflammation at the site of the spondy and inflammation of soft tissue and surrounding muscle groups, not to mention a ton of pain.
One of these steps was to reduce inflammation.
This post will give you a few exact ways to help you take the important step of reducing inflammation and relieving pain. By the time you read this blog post you will not only understand what inflammation is, but you will also have some exact steps and contacts to help you with your pain.
Stretching, strengthening and improving mobility are all great for keeping spondy related pain at bay, but little will help if severe inflammation is present. Inflammation is a common cause of many uncomfortable days and nights
associated with having a spondylolisthesis or spondylolysis.
What Is Inflammation?
First of all inflammation is not a bad thing, without it many of your injuries would never heal. However, too much inflammation over time IS a very bad thing.
Inflammation is simply a protective step by your body to help start the healing process. If this process is never allowed to run its course or it continues to repeat, then problems can arise.
As we discussed in our 3 step approach blog post, your body’s repetitive poor movement in combination with tight and weak muscles force extra stress and strain on the low back. For those with spondy’s and an already vulnerable spine, this may cause additional slipping in the area of your fracture.
Once this additional slipping occurs, the body goes into repair mode. The body begins its recovery process by using inflammation as the main source of help. Ideally inflammation would run its course, healing would occur, and none of us would be reading this site because everyone would feel great.
But, as you and I know, those who suffer from spondy’s have areas that are very tight and weak which can lead to poor movement and repetive stress. Instead of the healing process taking course, the body makes adjustments so you can perform daily functions while you deal with the pain caused by the inflammation at the site of the slip.
You may alter the way you walk, sit or stand. All of these adjustments then put stress and strain on muscle groups that are not meant to handle the stress. Muscle spasms along with inflammation in soft tissue may occur.
Your body goes from trying to be the nice guy and helping you out, to the bad guy and full of pain.
You are left with inflammation at the site of the spondy and inflammation of soft tissue and surrounding muscle groups, not to mention a ton of pain.
1. ANTI INFLAMMITORY MEDICATIONS
This is one of the most popular choices. They are quick to take, fast acting and most of the time they work.
Basically, the medications block the pain receptors from communicating the pain to your brain.
The medications will never correct any of your issues; they will only help to mask the pain. When you have a major flair up taking an anti inflammatory might be one of your better options to give some immediate relief, but they are not the long term answer to helping you rid the pain.
In the past, during my most painful bouts with my spondylolisthesis, I did get relief by taking Naproxen that was prescribed by my doctors. I tried to only take the medication if I was having extreme pain. I have also had some relief from taking Aleve, which is also a form of Naproxen. I try to stay away from anti inflammatory pills if I can. I try to limit them to severe flair ups and fortunately I have not had one in a long time.
There are several types of medication you can take. Ranging from over the counter drugs to doctor prescribed medications to many others. Talk to your doctor and go over the side effects and risks to arm yourself with all of the information about each drug. You can then make an educated decision based on your personal needs.
I am by no means telling you what to do; I am only giving my personal experiences with the medications and a few facts. The decision is ultimately up to you to help determine the best route.
This is one of the most popular choices. They are quick to take, fast acting and most of the time they work.
Basically, the medications block the pain receptors from communicating the pain to your brain.
The medications will never correct any of your issues; they will only help to mask the pain. When you have a major flair up taking an anti inflammatory might be one of your better options to give some immediate relief, but they are not the long term answer to helping you rid the pain.
In the past, during my most painful bouts with my spondylolisthesis, I did get relief by taking Naproxen that was prescribed by my doctors. I tried to only take the medication if I was having extreme pain. I have also had some relief from taking Aleve, which is also a form of Naproxen. I try to stay away from anti inflammatory pills if I can. I try to limit them to severe flair ups and fortunately I have not had one in a long time.
There are several types of medication you can take. Ranging from over the counter drugs to doctor prescribed medications to many others. Talk to your doctor and go over the side effects and risks to arm yourself with all of the information about each drug. You can then make an educated decision based on your personal needs.
I am by no means telling you what to do; I am only giving my personal experiences with the medications and a few facts. The decision is ultimately up to you to help determine the best route.
2. ICE & REST
Ice and rest are commonly prescribed for swelling. Ice is most effective if used within 48 hours of the injury. It has been shown to slow down blood flow and reduce the swelling.
The one problem with using ice for spondylolisthesis is the amount of ice that would be needed. You might feel some relief from the ice, but soon after you are up and
moving again your poor movement can cause the inflammation reaction all over again.
You would then need more ice and process repeats itself with no end in sight.
Ice can still be effective in minimizing the pain. I personally have never had success using ice with any of my painful bouts. To be honest, the ice makes me stiff and I feel worse. However, ice might be of help to you and it certainly has little to no side effects (just don’t freeze your skin!).
Resting gives the body a chance to perform its recovery process. Be cautious with too much rest. Staying seated for too long can make issues worse. Even when resting, make sure to get up every half hour or so and move around to get some blood flowing.
3. CHIROPRACTORS
Some people swear by the chiropractor and some don't care for the chiropractor. To be honest, it really depends on the individual and their personal experiences. Again, I am not telling people what is right or what is wrong, I am just explaining some of my personal experiences with each of these methods to help you increase your knowledge.
The chiropractor uses manipulation to help re-align your body so it can perform at its optimal level. Sometimes your body can become misaligned which can lead to a chain reaction and inflammation of soft tissues and muscle spasms.
Different strategies are used by different chiropractors from manual realignment to tables that help with realignment.
Chiropractors take into consideration your injury, your body, and your history to make the necessary adjustments to help re-align and counterbalance anything that “gets out of whack”.
Unfortunately, I have seen more chiropractors that made my issue worse opposed to helping me. This does not mean chiropractors do not work; it has just been my personal experience.
The one chiropractor that I would HIGHLY recommend resides in Lincolnshire, IL. His name is Dr. Robert Scott and you can visit his website HERE.
He is the only chiropractor I have visited that took time to explain my misalignments and help reduce some of my inflammation from my last episode.
Dr. Scott did a phenomenal job and if you are fortunate enough to be in his area, I would recommend giving him a call. He can help reduce the inflammation with some of his techniques. Dr. Scott is also a big believer in proper exercise and proper movement and I have been lucky enough to help out a few of his patients as well.
Some chiropractors do a great job in reversing the effects of misalignment and imbalance, and others not so much.
I wouldn’t come to a conclusion after working with one chiropractor, unless of course it worked.
Your best bet is to avoid setbacks and flair ups by getting stronger and more flexible in the right areas. Sometimes accidents do happen and you need to relieve the swelling fast and effectively. A chiropractor might just do the trick for you.
If you do see a chiropractor, make sure they know of your condition and have had experience working with someone who suffers from spondylolisthesis or spondylolysis.
4. MASSAGE THERAPY
Ice and rest are commonly prescribed for swelling. Ice is most effective if used within 48 hours of the injury. It has been shown to slow down blood flow and reduce the swelling.
The one problem with using ice for spondylolisthesis is the amount of ice that would be needed. You might feel some relief from the ice, but soon after you are up and
moving again your poor movement can cause the inflammation reaction all over again.
You would then need more ice and process repeats itself with no end in sight.
Ice can still be effective in minimizing the pain. I personally have never had success using ice with any of my painful bouts. To be honest, the ice makes me stiff and I feel worse. However, ice might be of help to you and it certainly has little to no side effects (just don’t freeze your skin!).
Resting gives the body a chance to perform its recovery process. Be cautious with too much rest. Staying seated for too long can make issues worse. Even when resting, make sure to get up every half hour or so and move around to get some blood flowing.
3. CHIROPRACTORS
Some people swear by the chiropractor and some don't care for the chiropractor. To be honest, it really depends on the individual and their personal experiences. Again, I am not telling people what is right or what is wrong, I am just explaining some of my personal experiences with each of these methods to help you increase your knowledge.
The chiropractor uses manipulation to help re-align your body so it can perform at its optimal level. Sometimes your body can become misaligned which can lead to a chain reaction and inflammation of soft tissues and muscle spasms.
Different strategies are used by different chiropractors from manual realignment to tables that help with realignment.
Chiropractors take into consideration your injury, your body, and your history to make the necessary adjustments to help re-align and counterbalance anything that “gets out of whack”.
Unfortunately, I have seen more chiropractors that made my issue worse opposed to helping me. This does not mean chiropractors do not work; it has just been my personal experience.
The one chiropractor that I would HIGHLY recommend resides in Lincolnshire, IL. His name is Dr. Robert Scott and you can visit his website HERE.
He is the only chiropractor I have visited that took time to explain my misalignments and help reduce some of my inflammation from my last episode.
Dr. Scott did a phenomenal job and if you are fortunate enough to be in his area, I would recommend giving him a call. He can help reduce the inflammation with some of his techniques. Dr. Scott is also a big believer in proper exercise and proper movement and I have been lucky enough to help out a few of his patients as well.
Some chiropractors do a great job in reversing the effects of misalignment and imbalance, and others not so much.
I wouldn’t come to a conclusion after working with one chiropractor, unless of course it worked.
Your best bet is to avoid setbacks and flair ups by getting stronger and more flexible in the right areas. Sometimes accidents do happen and you need to relieve the swelling fast and effectively. A chiropractor might just do the trick for you.
If you do see a chiropractor, make sure they know of your condition and have had experience working with someone who suffers from spondylolisthesis or spondylolysis.
4. MASSAGE THERAPY
When I say massage, I am not referring to the type of massage you would receive at a day spa or chain massage clinic. I am referring to active release therapy or A.R.T.
A.R.T. is a type of massage that focuses on overused areas of muscle, tissues, and ligaments. The soft tissue and muscles surrounding the low back, hips, IT bands, and glutes are just a few of the areas of the spondy community that become overworked and inflamed.
An A.R.T. specialist can dig around and work out these knots and inflamed tissues. I have experimented with different forms of A.R.T. along with personally knowing someone who is certified. The results can be amazing. Not only can it help to eliminate and reduce scar tissue, it can help to improve range of motion and flexibility.
If you have inflammation and overuse give a certified A.R.T. specialist a try. You can visit their website HERE for more information and a way to find someone certified near you.
5. Dry Needling
Dry needling a method many are not familiar with. I personally have not yet had the techniques used on me, but SpondySolution co-creator Todd Bitzer recently received his certification with dry needling and I am sure to experiment with it in the near future.
Some confuse dry needling with acupuncture, but the techniques are different. Dry needling works by initiating a muscle twitch in areas of overuse, also called “trigger points”. Inflammation is sometimes cause by these “trigger points”. Overused and stressed tissues can become inflamed and irritated, dry needling helps to is to achieve a local
twitch response to release muscle tension and pain.
You can read more about dry needling on their website HERE.
You can also find a certified individual by searching across the tabs at the top of the page and clicking on “find a therapist”. If you have tried other ways of reducing inflammation and have not found great results, give dry needling a try. I have heard fantastic things about the results.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways to help reduce the inflammation that is associated with your spondylolisthesis. Many people make the mistake of eliminating the inflammation and carrying on with their lives only to have a setback a few weeks later.
A.R.T. is a type of massage that focuses on overused areas of muscle, tissues, and ligaments. The soft tissue and muscles surrounding the low back, hips, IT bands, and glutes are just a few of the areas of the spondy community that become overworked and inflamed.
An A.R.T. specialist can dig around and work out these knots and inflamed tissues. I have experimented with different forms of A.R.T. along with personally knowing someone who is certified. The results can be amazing. Not only can it help to eliminate and reduce scar tissue, it can help to improve range of motion and flexibility.
If you have inflammation and overuse give a certified A.R.T. specialist a try. You can visit their website HERE for more information and a way to find someone certified near you.
5. Dry Needling
Dry needling a method many are not familiar with. I personally have not yet had the techniques used on me, but SpondySolution co-creator Todd Bitzer recently received his certification with dry needling and I am sure to experiment with it in the near future.
Some confuse dry needling with acupuncture, but the techniques are different. Dry needling works by initiating a muscle twitch in areas of overuse, also called “trigger points”. Inflammation is sometimes cause by these “trigger points”. Overused and stressed tissues can become inflamed and irritated, dry needling helps to is to achieve a local
twitch response to release muscle tension and pain.
You can read more about dry needling on their website HERE.
You can also find a certified individual by searching across the tabs at the top of the page and clicking on “find a therapist”. If you have tried other ways of reducing inflammation and have not found great results, give dry needling a try. I have heard fantastic things about the results.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways to help reduce the inflammation that is associated with your spondylolisthesis. Many people make the mistake of eliminating the inflammation and carrying on with their lives only to have a setback a few weeks later.
Get the inflammation under control and then begin a proper strengthening and stretching program like SpondySolution to ensure the episodes do not return.
The best method in the line of reducing inflammation is to develop the proper amount of strength, stability, and flexibility to prevent the inflammation from occurring. If you are experiencing pain and inflammation, research these methods and see what you think.
I would love to hear what has or and hasn’t worked for you. Drop us a comment on our website or facebook page and let us know your experiences. You can find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/spondysolution for more great spondy specific information.
The best method in the line of reducing inflammation is to develop the proper amount of strength, stability, and flexibility to prevent the inflammation from occurring. If you are experiencing pain and inflammation, research these methods and see what you think.
I would love to hear what has or and hasn’t worked for you. Drop us a comment on our website or facebook page and let us know your experiences. You can find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/spondysolution for more great spondy specific information.
