Question
I injured my back from a fall 12 years ago and I've experienced lower back pain every since, periodically.  Approxiamtely 4 weeks ago I begin experiencing more pain in the lower back as well as tingling, loss of feeling and tremendous pain from the lower back all the down to the right foot to include buttocks and thigh pain.  I had an xray taken and the result was that I had loss of normal lumbar spinal curavature and concern for posterolisthesis L5 upon S1 which was said to be more apparent than real.  Narrowing L4-L5 interspace which is subtle and narrowing at L5-S1.  I will be having a MRI done tomorrow.  Can you explain to me exactly what my options are other than surgery.  I am 36 years old and work in the healthcare industry and my job requires a lot of lifting which I will probably no longer be able to continue doing because with the least bit of activity I experience preoccurring pain in lower back and right leg.  Can you explain what the actual damage is at this point?  Thank you in advance.


Answer
Hi, Tawanya,

Changes of spinal curvature and lower back pain point to muscular contractures reflexively triggered by the initial injury and reflexively maintained.

This type of reflex is not a spinal reflex, but a long-loop reflex to the brain, which means it's subject to retraining.

That's what I would recommend.

You may read my articles on back pain at somatics.com/page4b.htm, which provide more information and an option for recovery.

As to damage, that's not a question I can answer without a personal examination.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold