Extra Lumbar Vertebrae

hello im 23 i have just been diognosed with a partialy formed l6 i work at a call center so working has become impossible as i can not sit for extended periods of time either my doctor said ir should not cause pain but it does. It started with swelling and constipation after a month of laxitives im finaly on track but the pain has trippled and i dont know where to go from here since my doc like most says its not the cause but cant find the cause. i am o neg i am on flexoril which slightly helped in the begining but now just makes me tiered and the pain remains ideas?

Hey health freak. I also just found out today I have an extra lumbar vertebrae. I continuously have pain, and can't sleep on my stomach. If I use it too much in 1 day I tend to be extremely sore the next day. And I can't walk straight. This has been going on for 7 years and I've finally just seen a doctor because I twisted the wrong way and fell and couldn't get up or move for 3 hours. I go back to the dr. In 2 days and he's going to let me know what to do. But if you're interested in tips email me at 

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I have just found out i have a 6th. Lumber im 16 and have always lived an extremely lifestyle till 2 years ago when this back pain started i sit up and cry at night and physical cannot move my lower body on some occasions i now can only walk 5 minutes at best where as i used to do professional trampolining and gymnastics my doctors nevere noticed my 6th lumbar till 3 months ago and are sending me to physiotherapy but this is just increasing the pain and is not healping should i ask for a nother opinion on treatment or shall i stick it out ??

I was dx with xtra lumbar vertebrae 40 yrs ago it caused immense pain in bac and down back of legs. Was taught some simple exercises in pt that do help. But it does continue to bother me from time to time

I also hurt my back i slipped on the ice this Jan. I found out through x-rays i have an extra lumbar vertebrae- i have not been the same since and whenever i sit down for longer than 10 minutes i have terrible pain!!

yes I have the same condition. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and he said I have to go to him the rest of my life to get any relief. There is no cure for this, and I haven't found any ways to relieve my pain. It is constant. I didn't hurt my back, the pain came upon me all of a sudden in February 2012. My condition is congenital. That means I was born with it but the pain was not there. I am 15 years old. My L5 & L6 are the problem. The extra vertabrate is connected to my sacrum and hip. 

I was diagnosed with this over ten years ago, during my first back x-ray. I have suffered from lower back pain related to the L6 since puberty. It has been manageable up till recently, and I now have to undergo intensive rehabilitative therapy. My L6 has what my chiropractor charmingly termed "bat wing syndrome." That is, it couldn't decide whether to become a lumbar vertebra or part of the sacrum, and thus exhibits features of both. It has a "wing" on one side. In turn, my L6 has caused pinched nerves in my thoracic and cervical vertebrae, which have been causing headaches/migraines that last for more than two weeks at a time and do not respond to medicine. It has also made it nearly impossible to maintain good posture. Aside from muscle relaxants and narcotics, the best pain management my doctors and I have found involves chiropractic therapy and lifestyle changes - special exercises designed to strengthen the muscles around

I am A resus Neg and have extra ribs and vertibrae also raynards.

LinZ,
I have had lower back pain since I was around 9yrs old or so. I am now 31 and have extreme pain. I too, have a 6th vertebrae. My family doctor had me on 800mg Ibuprofen and Vicodin until I stopped taking them at 16 because they weren't doing any good. From 16 to 30 I just took different over the counter back pain meds hoping to find something that would help. The summer of 2012 I went back to my doctor because I felt like I wouldn't be able to walk much longer, he said the pain i was experiencing was because a lot of the time when people have a 6th vertebrae it doesn't fully develope, in return it allows the vertebrae to shift causing damage to the nerves, and that was the case with me. Surgery for me is not an option, he said that it would greatly limit my mobility. Though, I will never get better he was able to give me a non-narcotic medicine (Amitriptyline) that does help ease the pain dramatically. Amitriptline is generally used to treat depression and in some cases insomnia but in low doses and sometimes in conjunction with other medicine its used for pain management. I wish you the best! I hope you won't have to wait as long as I did to get relief.

I have Rh -A Blood type and just found out that i have two extra vertebrae and two sets of extra ribs

ON REPLY TO YOUR POST- I have been told by doctors as well that I have a 6th lower lumbar. For many years my lower back has hurt me when I sit to long, stand to long or just walking around a lot like at a Flea Market or even Wal-Mart. As a kid we would plant a garden and as we harvested I would have to crawl on my knees to pick anything. So I understand what you are going through. As I have gotten older my right thigh gets numb, then starts stinging and hurts really bad . It has been hard living with this, but I have had to as I don't have medical insurance or I would be search for so help.........If I stand to long or walk to much I get extremely stiff and man my back hurt like #@$@. The only temporary relief I get it to bend over and bend my knees and stay that way for a few seconds. Oh yeah my Chiropractor told me if I had to sneeze make sure I bend my knees. I hope some of my rambling will help up but at least you know you are not alone

I too have an extra lower vertebrae. It did not start acting up until my 40's. I am now in severe pain. I've tried pain meds, physical therapy, water therepy, muscle relaxers, shots in my hips, and shots directly into my spinal cord. I am now being referred to a surgeon because it is causing me a bulging disk. I wish you well. Please e-mail me back.

I just recently found out about my sixth vertebra. I am 26 years old and I never really had back pain until recently. A couple years ago I fractured my pelvis while I was deployed, So I figured the back pain was attributed to that. My doctor brushed over having a sixth vertebra and said all we could do was a pain management program with physical therapy.

 

I also thought it was interesting that I read a lot about how most people with a six vertebra do not have lower back problems. On all of these sites I've been going to the comments are just filled with people with a sixth vertebra with tons of chronic and some mild lower back pain.

 

I have heard a lot of people talk about the benefits of yoga and my back pain became more severe when I started taking a yoga class.

i also have extra vertebra ,and pain that goes into my hip with numbness i just recently had what is called radio frequency done. it is a heated needle that is used to burn the nerve endings it has worked for almost 4 months, should go and see a specials in back pain . but if you have injured your back at any time in your life ,it gets worse .i am 43 yrs old, i use stretching ,heat ,cold and anti inflammatory  medicines. hope you find some relief .

I lived and used my L6 and now at 50 years, it's toast.  I'm told it needs to be "come out".  There's nothing useful about the segments except to cause pain. The disc is gone and the joint moves. I'm crippled. Doing a block to make sure but what else is relevant... I need pain meds 24/7 now.  Anyone had the surgery?