This Painful Spine Condition Is Twice as Common in Women as in Men

It’s hard to say, and even harder to live with. Learn about the painful condition degenerative spondylolisthesis—and how you can find relief from it.

Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a condition where one of your vertebrae (a bone from your spine) slips forward on the vertebra below it. Some symptoms include back pain, numbness, weakness, and even issues with walking.

According to David Falk, M.D., a highly skilled, fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon with The Maryland Spine Center, part of The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy in Baltimore, many doctors refer to the condition as “spondy” for short, adding that it usually happens due to gradual wear and tear—and that it’s twice as common in women than in men.

“Some may think that the laxity of the ligaments in the back may contribute to [spondy],” said Dr. Falk. “But on the flip side... we do know that women tend to respond better if they end up having surgical treatment.”

And that was where 66-year-old Cheryl Morrison ended up.

Morrison said that she first started feeling back pain in the summer of 2024. At first, it wasn’t bad—but six months later, it became unbearable.

“Once [the pain] started, it just came on,” said Morrison. “And I think that was when it was all there. It just radiated down my buttocks and down my leg, and my foot was numb.”

She tried medication, injections and therapy. But after talking with Dr. Falk, it was time for her to go under the knife.

“[My patients aren't] going to like me for the first day or two because they're going to feel like they got stabbed in the back—because they were literally cut open with a scalpel,” said Dr. Falk. “But after those first two or three days, most patients are pretty happy. The pain that brought them in—a severe pain going down their leg or into their buttocks—is mostly gone.”

“We went into the surgery,” said Morrison. “When I woke up, you know, I was expecting to really feel some severe pain in my back. And I did not. So, it was kind of like, ‘Whoa, this isn't too bad.’”

Now, Morrison is around three months out from surgery, and she feels the difference each week. She walks daily and feels more comfortable moving about.

“This surgery has kind of reset my whole body,” said Morrison. “I’ve lost weight. I feel much better. I’m off all these meds. It’s wild what it did.”

View Mercy spinal surgeon Dr. David Falk’s interview regarding degenerative spondylolisthesis.