I posted here on 9/19/09.
Since then, I've learned something else that may help us with our lower back pain. If we perform upper back exercises to open the upper back, it relieves the stress in the lower back region.
In addition to the upper back opening exercises I've been doing I've continued my yoga, and my lower back is hurting less and less.
I learned from a yoga magazine this exercise to open your upper back:
Set two yoga blocks on the floor about 10 or 11" from one another. Sit on one and lay down so that your shoulder blades lay across the other block. Take your chin and tuck it close to your chest while you lay flat over these blocks. Take your arms and press them down to your sides and press them into the ground, at the same time lift your chest and arch your upper back. Do so in a manner that you can feel the lower edge of your shoulder blades pressing into your back due to your arching upper back. Stay in this position and breathe a few deep breaths, then lift you hands over your head, still trying to arch a little (it doesn't seem like you're arching at all with your hands over your head, but I think you still are). Breathe a few more breaths. Move the block down an inch or two toward your bottom and continue this exercise. Do not move the block so that it is lower than two inches below the bottom of your shoulder blades.
The full description of this exercise is located in:
Yoga Journal, the May 2009 issue, page 112, "backbend over a block".
It is located within the article, "your best bend" on page 109.
I hope this can help someone else with lower back pain as much as it helped me.
However, I don't know if this can help anyone with bulging or herniated discs. If someone has that much of a problem, they should ask their doctor what to do. But this exercise may temporarily relieve the pressure in the lower back region.
Since then, I've learned something else that may help us with our lower back pain. If we perform upper back exercises to open the upper back, it relieves the stress in the lower back region.
In addition to the upper back opening exercises I've been doing I've continued my yoga, and my lower back is hurting less and less.
I learned from a yoga magazine this exercise to open your upper back:
Set two yoga blocks on the floor about 10 or 11" from one another. Sit on one and lay down so that your shoulder blades lay across the other block. Take your chin and tuck it close to your chest while you lay flat over these blocks. Take your arms and press them down to your sides and press them into the ground, at the same time lift your chest and arch your upper back. Do so in a manner that you can feel the lower edge of your shoulder blades pressing into your back due to your arching upper back. Stay in this position and breathe a few deep breaths, then lift you hands over your head, still trying to arch a little (it doesn't seem like you're arching at all with your hands over your head, but I think you still are). Breathe a few more breaths. Move the block down an inch or two toward your bottom and continue this exercise. Do not move the block so that it is lower than two inches below the bottom of your shoulder blades.
The full description of this exercise is located in:
Yoga Journal, the May 2009 issue, page 112, "backbend over a block".
It is located within the article, "your best bend" on page 109.
I hope this can help someone else with lower back pain as much as it helped me.
However, I don't know if this can help anyone with bulging or herniated discs. If someone has that much of a problem, they should ask their doctor what to do. But this exercise may temporarily relieve the pressure in the lower back region.
LMAO I ALSO HAVE A 6TH VETEBRATE WOOT...!!! I LOVE THIS CLUB... i HAVE EXTREME PAIN CONSTANTLY AND MY BODY SHUTS DOWN AS SOON AS i PLAY SOCCER OR START ANY SPRINTING... IDK WTF TO DO..IM 18 AND I DONT WANT THIS PROBLEM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE...
I too have the extra L6 vertebrae. Mine was discovered about 3 years. I slipped in my bathroom one night and was basically unable to move until I saw a chiropractor. I went to the ER before and was told I pulled a muscle and was given muscle relaxers, pain killers, etc. None of the medication worked. I was not a believer in chiropractic medicine before all of my back problems, but the amount of pain I was suffering, I was ready to try anything. When my chiropractor took X rays he discovered my 6th vertebrae. I too have the spina bifida occulta and my vertebrae is fused. My chiropractor told me that my disc between L5 & L6 is very thin so when I slipped, I herniated it pretty badly. (evidently this is pretty common for people with the 6th vertebrae). I continued with the chiropractor for 3 months and he was able to remove my back pain - which was a huge success in my mind. It was the worst pain of my life. After delivering a 9 lb. baby naturally I didn't think I would suffer such excruciating pain ever again. Back pain is awful.
I continued to have nerve pain in my leg and foot and I started to lose use of my toes. My entire foot was becoming numb. My chiro told me that he really couldn't help me with that and that I should see an orthopedic surgeon. I eventually received an epidural injection into the disc and that did alleviate the nerve pain and I gained use of my toes again. My back pain and nerve pain was gone for about 1 year. I started to get lower back pain again, but it was manageable with exercises and anti-inflammatory meds.
I've recently had sciatic pain again (after another slip) and am now back at the chiro to relieve the pain. He told me I would continue to have these issues throughout my life b/c of the thin disc and the 6th vertebrae. It should be manageable with constant chiro visits, exercise, and no more slips or falls! Lyrica also helps with the nerve pain if anyone suffers from that. I recommend a chiro for anyone with the 6th vertebrae as it sounds like we all have similar pain.
I continued to have nerve pain in my leg and foot and I started to lose use of my toes. My entire foot was becoming numb. My chiro told me that he really couldn't help me with that and that I should see an orthopedic surgeon. I eventually received an epidural injection into the disc and that did alleviate the nerve pain and I gained use of my toes again. My back pain and nerve pain was gone for about 1 year. I started to get lower back pain again, but it was manageable with exercises and anti-inflammatory meds.
I've recently had sciatic pain again (after another slip) and am now back at the chiro to relieve the pain. He told me I would continue to have these issues throughout my life b/c of the thin disc and the 6th vertebrae. It should be manageable with constant chiro visits, exercise, and no more slips or falls! Lyrica also helps with the nerve pain if anyone suffers from that. I recommend a chiro for anyone with the 6th vertebrae as it sounds like we all have similar pain.
Do you happen to have RH Neg blood type?? (A- or B- or O-) This is a common characteristic of the RH NEG person...extra vertbrae and ribs....
Only 15% of the world's population has RH NEG blood...scientists can't explain where it came from.
Only 15% of the world's population has RH NEG blood...scientists can't explain where it came from.
This sparked my interest ...as I found out today that I have and extra vertbrae and have the RH neg blood.....I also have a bulging herniated disk that is pressing on both sides of the nerve but worse on the left side. My symptoms happen only when I stand and or walk....when I sit I get relief. Extreme pain in lower back as well as numbness and pain down the buttocks and hips and legs ( pain is usually aggitated more by the presents of menstration cycle).....I recieved my 1st injection today and will get 2 more before I start PT. I sure hope this works for me!
I know someone whose daughter has an extra vertebrae, and she was told that it was much less common than 10-15%; she was told (I don't remember exactly) i think about only 1-3% of the population having an extra one. She may have been misinformed or heard wrong, but...yeah.
I also have the extra lumbar but was told by my Dr. that its extra lumbar and minus 1 sacrum and what it means is that were the sacrum formed to be a lumbar and not a sacrum it moves were its not supposed to so if you do a lot of bending and sitting and laying flat on your back it will hurt my Dr. also said sit-ups aren’t good for me to do because it causes me to move that area. I am getting ready to see a physical therapist that will help me to strengthen the muscles around the sacrum.
I just found out that I also have an sixth lumbar and recently had an MRI done to figure out the treatment to help me out. I've have severe overall back pain since I was 12 due to a skiing accident and its only gotten worse. I'm so glad to find that I'm not the only one with this issue and that people have found some moderately successful ways to treat this condition.
Hi, I found out yesterday that I also have an extra vertebrae in my lumbar!! I went to the chiropractor because I have had minor back pain for a while, although I don't feel that its caused by the extra vertebrae. The only time I ever feel it is when Im working and am bending and twisting and lifting heavy things, etc. HOWEVER!!!!!! Check this out... I have more then just an extra vertebrae, I also have an additional blood vein in my right shoulder (thats the only extra one that they know of, they suspect I have more though). But we should totally start a support group! Call it "Congenital anomaly anonymous"
Hi, Thanks everyone, people think I'm mental when I mention this!! I have been having this problem since I was in my 20s too much squash, bending down over my sons cot etc. I am now 63 and still suffering. There wasn't a pain killer that worked for me except one that was taken off the market!! The pain occurs if I twist the wrong way or bend wrongly. It is excrutiating and I can't move even to the bathroom. I only get relief when I lie down. My muscles go into spasm and it's a viscious circle. I now have a bit of rheumatism in my back so that makes it worse and I find it difficult to get off a chair or stand for long
However during my last spell I went to another doctor and he gave me some pain killers that actually work. Relaxes my muscles and I can then begin to move. Cutting down my healing process by days
However during my last spell I went to another doctor and he gave me some pain killers that actually work. Relaxes my muscles and I can then begin to move. Cutting down my healing process by days
I too found out that I have an L6 and like the girl from mexico am worried about how it will affect my pregancy. I am 37 years old and trying to become preganat but, like most of you have bad lower back pain, can not sleep on my stomach. The pain actually radiates down into my hips as well. I work at a job where I stand all day and it's painfull. I guess I need a new doctor because they tell me that as long as I continue to exercise and strenghthen my core (abs & back) that will do the trick. Well I excersie and it does help but not for a 12 hour shift on my feet. I need something better than advil on long days. So, back to my question does anyone have any experience being pregnant with this L6?
I will tell you this....I've had 3 children and had no back problems while i was Pregnant. I'm now 34 and just found out 2 days ago that I have a 6th lumbar, too. I also have a bulging disk too. I'm like you in when I normally feel pain for the same reasons. Apparently, (from what my doctor said) it's usually people that are tall that can have a 6th lumbar. I'm 5ft 1 and my doctor is about 5ft 7. He just laughed and said he didnt' know what happened to us :) I've only been going for a couple of days, but i'm having a little bit of relief already. Don't worry about getting pregnant, but when you do, make sure your doctor knows that you have that. Hope this helps
hey... i just came across this. dont know how long its been here. but i have an "extra bone" i found out when i was 10 when my back locked and i had to go to A&E for an xray. ive also read its not meant to cause back pain but mine does. if i walk for along time the next day my back can lock, it "pops/cracks" a lot after this and it hurt to cough and sneeze when its like this. also if i lay down its very hard to get back up. i find that sometimes it just all of a sudden gets sore and can last for days, cant walk up stairs or anythin easily and it sometimes feels like a pinch on the nerve. once i bent down in a shop to pick up a pair of shoes and literally had to get a cab home from the store which was a 5 min walk from my house. I just take losts of pain killers and gentle walkin to keep it moving. not much more i can do other than get it removed.. which was an option presented to me if its causing too much pain.
I have a 6th lumbar not fused to the sacrum also. I had spondylolisthesis and cysts also and had fusion surgery 4 years ago. I did get pregnant after the surgery and did well until I started having to pick up my son. As he gets bigger it gets harder on me physically. I am short too and the 6th vertebrae is fused to one above now. I think I was told various things too about the extra not causing problems. In my case, it is hard to tell if it was a combination of both congenital defects or not. I still have problems on a weekly basis, but I no longer have that hip pain and the burning down my legs.
I AM 26YRS OLD AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AN EXTRA VETEBRE IN MY LOWER LUMBAR ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I HAVE BEEN GOING TO MY CHIROPRACTOR SINCE THEN AND I AM STILL NOT PAIN FREE. I DONT GET BACK SPASMS ANYMNORE LIKE I USED TO BUT I STILL GET THE RADIATING PAIN INTO MY LEGS. ACCORDING TO THE CHIRO I NEED TO JUST CONTINUE TO SEE HIM TO AVOID ARTHIRITUS WHEN I GET OLDER. I KNOW HES NOT SCAMMING ME CAUSE HE ONLY CHARGES THE INSURANCE AND WAIVES ALL MY FEES....I JUST WONDER WHY THE PAIN IS NOT GOING AWAY