Extra Lumbar Vertebra/ Mutations

[acr2011]

I a sixth lumbar. I had no idea until i had a football accident in sixth grade. When i found out they just said that it would be fine and just to rest. About two and a half years later the same injury reoccured. Now i have to "pop" in my lower back almost daily. If i dont it could cause my back to spasm or stiffen up. I can still play all of the sports and do well in them. I am generally more flexible than most people and i have been told my extra vertibrea is the cause. It is a burden and a gift.

[hopejwilliams]

Hi, my name is Hope. I am 43, Until April of 2007, I had never even had a muscle spasm, much less back/leg pain. After 6 docs, I finally went to the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Ga. It was there that I learned I have an L6. After a Myelogram, the radiologist conclusion was this:
L4-L5 disc protrusion
L5-L6 disc protrusion
L6-S1 disc protrusion
S1 joint fused on both sides
L6 fused on right only.
I too feel like a medical mystery. My pain was not "classic" so the diagnosis was difficult. I have learned that I was a DES baby. I was born with 12 toes as well. I suffered with reproductive issues w/complete hysterectomy at 22 after 8 abdominal surgeries. This was a direct cause of the DES my mother received while pregnant w/me. Does anyone know if this is relevant to these extra "bone" formations?
My doc in Columbus did surgery on me 8 days ago. He went in and did a general clean up on my L6, Bone spurs, L6-S1 facets were completely compressing the nerve and he opened it up and did a spinal decompression. I am much better, however, I am starting to see a slight return of the pain. Anyone with advice or info, please let me know. Thank ya'll, Hope

[bellybigbootz]

Originally Posted by Soveh

I was born with a 6th lumbar vertabrae. Everyone keeps telling me that there is no way it could cause me pain, yet all I can remember since I was very young is the pain in my lower back. I was told about this extra by a chiropractor that had taken x-rays before treating me approx. 14 years ago. This was verified recently by my family physician. I have, for the most part learned to live with the pain I experience, even when it gets so bad I can hardly move. I push the pain aside mentally and just go on, though it is very hard some days. My lower back just before my menses start is horrific, but it lets me know when my very erratic cycle is about to begin. So in some ways the pain can be a good thing. From what I have been reading, pain is not usually associated with having a 6th lumbar vertebrae, am I just unusual in the fact that I do???

i have the sixth lumbar and i suffer lots, i am on painkillers most weeks and am unable to do general family stuff when it is bad, though i do have weeks at a time when i don't suffer at all. i also have more pain when i am due on. more pain in winter. always pain after long walks - which i try to avoid. my step-mother also suffers in a similar way and has the same extra vertebra.

[ggmac07]

I am 21, but my problems started at 17 when i was diagnosed with a ruptured disc at L4, L5 or L5 S1 depending on how you see it. I have an extra vertabrae and am 1 yr post surgery now with greater pain than before. I take bottles of pain killers and muscle relaxors a month. Nonthing seems to work anymore and i am really losing hope. I think my pain is primarily associated around muscular skeletal pain and nerve damage. No nerve medicine seems to work for very long for me. Does anyone have any suggestions, advice, anything?!?!

[Ben6713]

Hi I am a 48 year old Australian male who also has the additional lumbar vertebra. It was first identified when my back "went out" as a seven year old and my parents took me to the doctor to find out why I couldn't move. As well as identifying the additional vertebra they diagnosed Scheurmanns Disease. While I have had somoe occasional but intense pain in the past that can severly limit my ability to interact normally and can take up to a week to disappear I find that it reduces in frequency and intensity when I exercise regularly. My parents are L6 free but my Aunt has the additional vertebra. When I was 7 the doctors said it was natures way of helping us walk upright....Interesting concept.

[130606]

i Also Have 6 Lumbar Vertebra Left Hip Pain Flared Up After Having Childeren Last One To Sleep First To Get Out Of Bed Some Days Better Then Others Doc. Seems To Ignore My Complaints Them He Finally Did X Rays And Found The Extra And Thats .i Also Have C1 And C2 Congenital Abnor. W/ Some Pinching And Bulging Disc . From Top To Bottom Of My Neck Minor Sten. In My Kneck I Think I Need And Mri On My Back?

[giftandcurse]

Hello all!!
I have a L6 and 13th rib which is fusing to my hipbone. This has been causing me to have sciatica (so I was told by doctors) and pain through my right abdomen. I have been to chiropractors since I was 7 years old when they found this after a quad accident which left me unable to move for two days. On top of that, when I was 14, I was in a car accident and fractured my C7.
I am now 27, athlethic and active, and have been experiencing serious back pain and abdomen pain. The last doctor I visited advised me to take anti-inflammatories and see him in a week. The anti-inflammatories worked for a few days and now I am in pain again.
Would anyone advise me to see a certain type of doctor? Is surgery necessary? Is there hope for us mutants?
Any more information would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you.

G&C

[SCI-Nurse]

I am not sure whether surgery is necessary or not. I would guess that it is dependent on the symptoms that anyone has and whether or not there is any other way to manage them.

If you need to see someone to help manage this, I would suggest either a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic surgeon.

CKF

[gypsy_missy@hotmail.com]

Hi! I recently found out something very interesting about my eight year old daughter. In the last 2 years we have all noticed that she has been developing a bit of a "sway"back, meaning that her back is not of a normal curvature. Despite trying to encourage proper posture and being physically active to help her spine reach a normal curve, it seems to have gotten worse. She tends to stick her tummy out, and to be honest it is sometimes quite ghastly when one looks at her side profile...it definately does not look natural, haha!! I decided to get her checked out to make sure she did not have any abnormal spinal formations, and to find a way to correct her exaggerated curvature. Her family doctor did a few simple tests, and suspected something and ordered some xrays. Upon reviewing the x-rays he informed us that she had a 6th lumbar vertebrate when most of us humans have 5. He said it was nothing to worry about, and we should help her to do abdominal excercises as well as other things to help correct her posture...and it would get better as she grew older. He joked that she would probabley make and excellent gymnastics student as she had more flexibility than most people.

I am utterly facinated by this phenomenon. To my knowledge there is no one on either side of the family who has this condition, but then again not everyone has had xrays or a doctor prove it. She is of polish, scottish, irish, and german descent...as well as there has been hints of cree or metis blood in my family on my fathers side. I am curious to learn more about this, and have been told while doctors do see it from time to time, it is somewhat rare...perhaps 3-4% of the population are affected with this. I also read that it is very common for people who have the 6th lumbar vertebrate to also have a 13 rib. I am quite fond of science, and although I have no degree, I have studied a lot on genetics, world history, religion, and other interesting things. If anyone is able to shed some more light on this and why it occurs, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

[canadeh]

I have 8 cervical vertibrae. My chiropracter says he sees more people with the extra vertibrae than the general population. Why? What is the portion of the population? Just curious.