Whats the next step

[ShaneL1981]

I was just diagnosed with spondylolthesis. I had alot of back pain for about a year now and I finally got an x-ray and that's when they said I had spondylolthesis. I had tried physical therapy before that and muscle relaxers and a steroid medication and nothing has worked. They sent me to have a mri and they said that nothing showed up, except it confirmed that I have spondylolthesis. So they said I should lose weight and I should be fine. I have looked into this alot and I have to disagree that, that's going to work. The doctor said to just take Ibprofren for the pain, which doesn't do anything. I still have severe back pain and it goes down my right leg all the way to my foot. What is my next step? Should I see someone who specializes in this. I have only gone to my regular doctor. That would require a referral for that, right?

[tiname]

I went to my PCP for back pain in 1996, and he did x-rays, he told me that I had scoleosis but didn't think that that would cause me pain, and that I should see a Psychiatrist for depression. A year later I was sled riding with my children and hit a tree the pain was even more intense than before, I went to the hospital E.R. and had x-rays and the Dr. there told me that I had Spondylilothesis, and told me to see my PCP to get a referral to see a Neurosurgeon, and to no surprise to me the PCP tried to brush me off, until I asked him: If I were your Mother, Sister, or someone that you care about deeply what would you do then? Well let me tell you, he wrote the referral real quick. But sadly, the neourosurgeon turned out to be as bad as the PCP. However, I now see a wonderful neurosurgeon and I have been going through Physical Therapy and with my therapist I now have a walker, and I get around alot better than before, with alot less pain and agony.  Don't give up or in, ask alot of questions, and if your not satisfied go to another Dr. you can and will find the right one. I did. And I am not ready to give into this condition.....we all have to keep up the fight, I have modified but not given up on living my life my way. i.e. I use my computer chair in my kitchen to help me to cook and bake something I hadn't done for years, I put an olden wooden chair in my shower so that if the pain gets too sever I can sit down and continue, some other tips stretching hurts me alot of times so if I need to reach above my head for something I use a fork to help bring the object to the edge where I can catch it when it drops. The only 2 things I have left to conquer is slepping and getting back to work. But I am not about to give up on those either. I will achieve my goals.

[gorgse]

Yes you should loose weight to lessen the stress on the disc/vert and should see a specialist. neural surgeon or ortho that specializes in spine. They should be able to better diagnos the severity of your condition. You might need an mri to look at the discs and nerves as X rays can only see the bones.