What is it? As you can see in the picture on the left, it’s when a vertebrae slips forward (or backwards) against another vertebrae. Sometimes it develops from a bilateral stress fracture. So you might have heard that on a scan result.

Is it serious? Can be. If it slides too far, it can run into your spinal cord. This is a baaaaad thing – you would need an operation. Also, it makes the area unstable, which will make everything tighten up around it.

What causes it? Some people are born with it, other people develop it, usually due to repetitive stress. For example, fast bowlers in cricket very commonly suffer from this.

What does the research say about it? Well, there was a study recently (http://thegoodhealthjournal.com/?p=22)that said that just because you have it, you are not going to automatically get pain, which is great news.

Why? Well, because it means that the pain is more likely coming from your back tightening up around it, and the associated problems with that, like nerve compression.

Does treatment help? Studies have shown spinal manipulation is quite effective, as well as strengthening the core abdominal muscles. This type of approach has been shown to “reduce back pain and disability levels significantly” http://tinyurl.com/agtklz