Show Notes
Spondylolisthesis sounds frightening on a scan report, but for most people it's been there quietly for years — and it responds to the right rehab. If your MRI or X-ray has come back with spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, or a retrolisthesis and the words alone have you worried, this session is for you. We walk through what each term actually means — the pars defect (spondylolysis), the forward slip and its grading (spondylolisthesis, grades 1 to 4), the isthmic and degenerative types, and the backward slip (retrolisthesis) — usually at L4/L5 or L5/S1. Then we get to what matters most: the three guidelines for recovering, whichever type you have. Because the slip has almost always been there far longer than your pain, and the answer is the same as it is for any back injury — build resilience. 🎓 Join the Back In Shape Program: https://backinshapeprogram.com We explain why a slip almost always predates your current pain by years, and why it usually only becomes symptomatic when deconditioning and life catch up — not because the vertebra suddenly moved. We cover the three guidelines in order, why the standard "get it moving" advice is worse for a spondylolisthesis than for anyone, and then the questions that always come up: whether you should deadlift, what the McGill Big 3 misses, what decompression and injections can and can't do, and the three simple tools worth owning. The thread throughout: it's an instability problem at its root, and the answer is to build stability and strength, not chase the stiffness.
🔑 Key Topics Covered 🩻 What the words on your scan actually mean: spondylolysis (a stress fracture in the pars), spondylolisthesis (a forward slip, graded 1 to 4), the isthmic and degenerative types, and retrolisthesis (a backward slip). We translate each one and where it usually sits. ⏳ You've probably had it for years: a grade 1 or 2 slip almost always predates your pain by a long way. It usually turns symptomatic when deconditioning and life catch up — not because the vertebra suddenly moved. That reframe changes everything. 🚫 Why "bend and twist" advice is worse here than anywhere: cat-camels, knee hugs, child's pose and pelvic tucks are handed out as standard — but an unstable segment needs to be stabilised, not wiggled. For a spondylolisthesis that advice actively works against you. 🏗️ The three guidelines for recovery: first, learn to control and protect a neutral spine; second, build load-bearing capacity through the squat and hip hinge, because life has load; third, build better-than-average hip mobility so the lower back has to bend less.
Chapters 00:00 Spondylolisthesis: terms and three guidelines 01:00 The terms on your scan: spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis 04:00 Isthmic vs degenerative spondylolisthesis 07:00 Retrolisthesis: the backward slip 09:00 Don't just go to the gym with a bad back 13:00 You've probably had it for years — and why your scan doesn't change the plan 20:00 The "chest pot" cue for sway-back posture 24:00 The three guidelines for recovering from spondylolisthesis 28:00 Why "bend and twist" advice is worse for spondylolisthesis 32:00 Should you deadlift with spondylolisthesis or a bulging disc? 36:00 Osteopaths, physios and the McGill Big 3 42:00 Regret, and what a steroid injection really does 45:00 Getting the most from decompression and laser therapy 48:00 Before a fusion: have you really done rehab? 52:00 Sauna, cold plunge and how fast results come 55:00 Red light mats, and sleeping in a flare-up 1:01:00 The three tools worth buying 1:06:00 Where to go next: masterclass, article and program
#Spondylolisthesis #BackPainRelief #BackInShape #Spondylolysis #Retrolisthesis #Sciatica #LowerBackPain #SpinalRehab
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