Question
I slipped and fell in Sept 08'. The ER told me I "injured my tail bone" and sent me home with some pain killers. Well months later I was still hurting and had to get an attorney to see a Dr. After my MRI they discovered it was a bulged disk between the L5 and S1. Now my new Dr told me that the nerves that go there are to my uterus. my question is could the injury have cause the miscarriage? I wasn't pregnant at the time of the injury. I got pregnant in DEC 08 and miscarried in Jan 09.

Answer
Tiffany;

It is true that the L5 nerve root does go to the uterus, but I am not aware of it causing miscarriages.  What most people don't know is that 40% of the "normal" population has a disc injury in their spine, and it is 15x more common to have an injury to L5 than any other.

So to answer you question, I would find it doubtful that the slip and fall caused your miscarriage.  Most miscarriages that early in the pregnancy are due to more genetic issues than anything else.  I am sorry for your loss, my wife and I had a miscarriage, too.  It really bites.  

There is hope, though, and I want to let you know that I have plenty of patients who have disc injuries and carry their children to term, no problem.  

Hope this answer helped.  If you would like more information about lumbar discs, check out my website, www.dynamicclinic.com, and go to the articles section.

Dr. Peter Carr