Can I swim if I have lumbar spondylolisthesis?

Swimming is a form of exercise that takes place in water. Because it uses many muscles throughout the body, swimming can play a big role in shaping a person's body. And with the establishment of swimming venues in various places, swimming has become more and more popular among ordinary people. Lumbar spondylolisthesis is a relatively common lumbar disease condition. So if a person suffers from lumbar spondylolisthesis, can he continue swimming?

1. The severity of lumbar spondylolisthesis depends on the situation. After lumbar spondylolisthesis occurs, the patient may not have any symptoms, and it is only discovered during filming; various related symptoms may also occur, such as low back pain, lower limb pain, numbness, weakness, and abnormal urination and defecation in severe cases. Patients with more severe spondylolisthesis may experience waist depression, abdominal lordosis, and even trunk shortening, and swaying when walking. Guidance: If the symptoms are not significantly relieved after regular conservative treatment, and there is still long-term low back pain and other accompanying symptoms of spondylolisthesis, that is, conservative treatment is ineffective, and life and work are seriously affected, surgical treatment should be considered. At present, there are many methods for treating this type of disease, which are mainly divided into three categories: The first is physical therapy, such as traditional traction, massage, cupping, acupuncture, and physical methods such as infrared, microwave, heat, light, electricity, and sound. The second is minimally invasive therapy, such as treatment with laser and collagenase. That is, use laser to vaporize the intervertebral disc, collagenase to soften the intervertebral disc, and then use intervertebral disc endoscope to remove the nucleus pulposus that compresses the nerves to cure the disease. The third is treatment through surgery, that is, removing the nucleus pulposus that compresses the nerve roots.

2. Lumbar disc herniation is a syndrome caused by degeneration of the intervertebral disc, rupture of the annulus fibrosus, and protrusion of the nucleus pulposus, which stimulate or compress the nerve roots and cauda equina. It is one of the most common causes of low back and leg pain. The highest incidence of lumbar disc herniation is in the L4-5 and L5-S1 spaces.

Lumbar spondylolisthesis is one of the two most common diseases that cause low back and leg pain. Such patients often come to the outpatient clinic for treatment. But most people have only heard of lumbar disc herniation. The normal spine is formed by the lumbar vertebrae and adjacent intervertebral discs connected by ligaments. The front of the lumbar spine is the vertebral body, the back is the vertebral arch, and the center is the vertebral canal. In layman's terms, a herniated disc is a problem with the cartilage pad (intervertebral disc) that connects the vertebrae. Lumbar spondylolysis refers to a problem (breakage) in the structure connecting the lumbar vertebral body and the posterior vertebral arch. Lumbar spondylolisthesis refers to a significant misalignment of two adjacent lumbar vertebral bodies.