T Nation

Extra Vertebrae?

Powerlifting
#1

Wasn’t sure where to put this topic at but anyways…

Just got back from the chiropracter and had some x-rays done for some back pain ive been having for about a year. What he found out is that I have an extra vertebrae which would be the L-6 vertebrae right below the L-5 and above the sacrum. Apparently, it was suppose to fuse in with my right and left ilium and make part of my hip but never did.

He said its more unstable than the other joints. For that reason it is bulged right now and i know i hurt it from heavy deadlifting. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how it affected them?

#2

Yeah, I had a similar discovery last year, from a similar injury. Apparently its somewhat common as far as mutations go, appearing in up to 5% of the population, and up to 16% in Certain ethnic groups.

Most people don’t have much problem with it, though it can compress the intervertebral disks (more bone in same ammount of space, the disks will be slightly smaller/squished). I’ve found that doing more Posterior Chain work, to strengthen the erector muscles, does wonders for pain in that area.

If I skip Good Mornings for more then a week, the pain usually returns. Other then that, nothing really major.

(F.Y.I. I’m not a doctor, and certainly no expert on this stuff. This is just what My Dr. told me, what I’ve researched about it, and what I’ve found has worked for me. If anyone reads this, and knows better, please correct me :slight_smile: )