Q: I am 24 yrs. old. in the yr.2000 i played badmintonafter several yr. without any warm up and i acquired a pain at my lower back.[ from 1999july till june2000, i was not involved in any sort of physical excersie.]i thought the pain as an sprain and took some pain killers like brufen, but thepain agravated and the painwas shifting all round my lowerback from left to right, or from the centre(meeting pt. of spinal and lower back bone) to the right. my doctor gave some current treatmentand a belt butdid not alleviate my pain. meanwhile the phsio asked to excersises by lying on the floor ON MY STOMACH 1. LIFT ALTERNATE LEGS 2. LIFT BOTH THE LEGS3. YOGA BOAT POSTURE. as did for one day the pain was immense. so i stoppedand the next day i went for one the leading hospital and took a C.T scan and they declared that i had lumbar spondlysis(L5 OVER S1) AND the DR.told me that one of the bone spacing was more or itsnot equally spaced PROBABLY FROM MY BIRTH. BUT I HAVE NEVER INJURED MY BACK THOUGH WHILE PLAYING I HAVE DIVED AND asked to do these excersises with head facing the sky(normal sleeping position) 1. lift alternate legs 2.just raise the upper body and look at the toe.i did these excersices daily morning and evening and the pain reduced tremendosly and went for a back floating ,the pain was very minimal. within a month i started playing with a slight warup to the back.EVERY now and then slight pain at meeting pt. of my spinal cord and lower back bone or only to the left of this meeting pt.within these two yr. i played ,walked etc. did every now and then those excersises and made sure i warmed up b4 playing.just 3 months back i started doing excersises after consulting a local phsio 1. lifting both the legs to 10 degree and 35 degree.2. did stomach crunchesafter practising these exercises for a week, i started the exercises of BACK BENDING AND THOSE EXCERSISES WHICHI DID AT MY 1ST CONSULTATION (WHICH AGGRAVATED MY PAIN)AND I STARTED DOING ASANAS BY WATCHING TVBOTH FORWARD BENDING WITH MY LIMITATIONS AND BACK BENDING INCLUDING COBRA POSTURE, WHEEL POSTURE(MAX. BENDING OF BACK TO THE LIMIT TO WHICH I WAS ABLE TO BEND AFTER PALYING I HAVE A SLIGHT PAIN AND THE MEETING PT OR TO THE LEFT OF MEETING PT. FOR THE PAST 1 WEEK I STARTED PLAYING CRICKET AND I FEEL AGAINTHE PAIN WEREI GOT EARLIER B4LAYING I DO SLIGHT FROWARD AND BACKWARD, SIDEWARD BENDING. BUT I DO EXERCISE QUITE IRREGULARLY. i dont have SOMETIMES A STIFF LOWER BACK.i am really OVERWEIGHING. when i dont play i go for a walk of 1.3km to and 1.3fro.SO, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD CONTINUE WITH EXCERSISES(ASANAS ESPECIALLY BACK BENDING or lying on my stomach doing asanas)2. IS IT BETTER TO TAKE ANOTHER XRAY AS I HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY X RAY OR CT SCAB B4 TWO YRS?3. ANYOTHER EXCERSISE WHICH U COULD SUGGEST?4. can i go do weight training?so

A:Spondylolysis could be hereditary or the defect could have occurred when you were 5-7 years old .It usually develops without your knowledge. Repeated physical activity aggravates it. It may remain quiescent or may give rise to low back pain as in your case. Stiffness in your back could be posture related.1.Take an x-ray before you decide to experiment again.2. Avoid back-bending exercises or the ones lying on your stomach.1.TAKE would not advise you to go for any weight training to reduce. A regular balanced fat-free diet and swimming should help you to reduce.4. You should always be regular with your exercises.a)Try short-wave Daithermy for a week at a local physiotherapy clinic.b)Maintain correct posture at work and at play.c)A flexion attitude is important.d)Practice strong abdominal contractions in lying on your back.e)Try regular periods of prone lying(lying on your stomach)f)Sit on a chair with your lower back resting against the chair. Gradually bend your lumbar spine forward, strongly contracting your abdominals and holding your breath.g)If you are very uncomfortable, then, depending upon the percentage slip, sacral inclination, degree of lumbar lordosis in your x-ray, you can get a brace made in consultation with your doctor or your physiotherapist.