is lumbosacral spondylosis a disability?

Question

i have been in pain my whole life -my back-hips-legs ect.but just recently i had an mri and it showed that i had this and dr cant give me shots or surgery -im not allowed to do anything just exercises that therapy tells me to do my whole system is a mess

Answer 1

The lumbosacral joint is the portion of the spine known as L5-S1--where the lumbar spine and sacrum attach. Spondylosis is a condition of the spine where stiffness or fixation of a vertebral joint occurs. Spondylosis may also be identified as spondylitis or ankylosing spondylitis--inflammation of the spinal vertebrae.

The condition known as lumbosacral spondylosis may be the result of a traumatic spinal injury or some type of rheumatoid disease process. It is most commonly diagnosed in patients over 50 years of age, and it is considered to be the result of aging. Increasing low-back pain and morning stiffness are often the symptoms that cause a patient to seek medical attention. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, diagnostic imaging such as an MRI or CAT scan should be included in the examination process.


When the lumbosacral joint is affected, the major support region of the spine is stressed. If left untreated, more vertebral levels of the spine may be affected as the weight-bearing duties are stretched to regions above the diseased joint. Only a qualified back specialist is able to accurately diagnose lumbosacral spondylosis and recommend the appropriate treatment.
When the facet joints are affected by spondylosis, the movement of the spine is compromised. Facet joints are like hinges and move as the spine moves in flexion, rotation, and extension. The loss of cartilage around the joints and the formation of osteophytes may be the result of osteoarthritis. These changes often lead to spondylosis.

Relief from the pain of spondylosis is possible without the need for invasive surgery requiring hospitalization and general anesthesia.

The prognosis is good for lumbosacral spondylosis when treatment is obtained early in the disease process.

Answer 2

No, it is not a disability, however, the pain it causes may disable you. You need to get on board with your doctor and come up with a plan to make you feel better. Surgery isn't always the answer, sometimes it can make it worse, but you need to be involved in the decisions, otherwise, you wil never be satisfied with the state of things.

Answer 3

Lumbosacral Spondylosis

Answer 4

As people age certain biochemical changes occur affecting tissue found throughout the body. In the spine, the structure of the intervertebral discs (anulus fibrosus, lamellae, nucleus pulposus) may be compromised. The anulus fibrosus (e.g. tire-like) is composed of 60 or more concentric bands of collagen fiber termed lamellae. The nucleus pulposus is a gel-like substance inside the intervertebral disc encased by the anulus fibrosus. Collagen fibers form the nucleus along with water, and proteoglycans. The degenerative effects from aging may weaken the structure of the anulus fibrosus causing the 'tire tread' to wear or tear. The water content of the nucleus decreases with age affecting its ability to rebound following compression (e.g. shock absorbing quality). The structural alterations from degeneration may decrease disc height and increase the risk for disc herniation. The lumbosacral joint is the portion of the spine known as L5-S1--where the lumbar spine and sacrum attach. Spondylosis is a condition of the spine where stiffness or fixation of a vertebral joint occurs. Spondylosis may also be identified as spondylitis or ankylosing spondylitis--inflammation of the spinal vertebrae. The condition known as lumbosacral spondylosis may be the result of a traumatic spinal injury or some type of rheumatoid disease process. It is most commonly diagnosed in patients over 50 years of age, and it is considered to be the result of aging. Increasing low-back pain and morning stiffness are often the symptoms that cause a patient to seek medical attention. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, diagnostic imaging such as an MRI or CAT scan should be included in the examination process. The prognosis is good for lumbosacral spondylosis when treatment is obtained early in the disease process. In patients with spondylolisthesis, the treatment depends on several factors, depending on age, sex, and severity of slip. The younger child has a higher chance of further slip with growth. Girls are more prone to progressive slip than boys. Severity of slip is estimated on the lateral view on X-ray, and depends on the amount of contact left between the L5 and S1 vertebral bodies. Grade 1 indicates more than 75% of contact. Grade 2 indicates 50 to 75% of contact. Grade 3 indicates 25 to 50% of contact. Grade 4 indicates less than 25% of contact. The higher the grade of slip, the more serious the problem, and the higher the chances of further slip. For Grades 1 and 2, conservative treatment is usually instituted. This will be similar to treatment for spondylolysis, except for use of a rigid Lumbosacral orthosis LSO or thermoplastic brace), and intensive physical therapy to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles, as well as stretching exercises for the tight hamstring muscles. X-rays (lateral views only) are done every 3 to 6 months to check on the severity of the slip. If the patient responds to conservative treatment, the pain resolves, the hamstring tightness improves, and the patient may return to limited sports. Gymnastics, weight-lifting and football should be avoided. If the pain does not improve, or if follow-up X-rays demonstrate further slip, surgery may be needed. Surgery consists of fusing the L5 to the S1 vertebrae to prevent further slipping. Depending on the degree of slip and other factors, your surgeon may fuse the vertebrae "as is", or fuse the vertebrae after attempting to reduce the slip. This latter technique entails significant risk to the spinal nerves, and will have to be taken into consideration in the pre-operative planning.
Hope this is of interest
Matador 89

Answer 5

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