This can put pressure on nerve roots in the low back and cause pain in the hamstring muscle, which may spasm. Slippage can also cause sciatic pain, which shoots down the leg and into the foot. Rest and anti-inflammatory medication will usually relieve pain. An athlete with slight slippage may be able to return to activity, but must be monitored periodically. If x-rays indicate that slippage is getting worse, the athlete may be advised to switch to an activity that places less stress on the spine.
Painful symptoms can intensify if slippage creates instability.
For the most painful cases, the slipped vertebra can be surgically fused to the vertebra below it. Fusion is one method by which athletes with vertebral slippage may hope to return to athletic activity, though a decrease in the level of activity may be recommended after surgery. Parents know that children's feet grow rapidly. Children often need shoes in less than the three-month interval recommended for checking their shoe size. But adults, especially mothers of newborns, are often amazed to find that, at some point in time, no matter how many styles and brands they try, shoes in their normal size do not fit.