If you’ve ever had a pain anywhere in your back then you know just how uncomfortable it can be. No matter what was on your mind at the time, that shooting or stabbing pain takes over your entire thought process. Until the pain is resolved, you can’t think of anything else.
Let’s take a look at the anatomy of the human back to see where the pain is actually coming from. The human back consists of a bony spine. This spine is divided into sections: 7 cervical vertebrae (in the neck region), 12 thoracic vertebrae (in the area of the chest, attached to the rib cage), and 5 lumbar vertebrae (what we typically refer to as the lower back) and the bones of the sacrum and coccyx (fused bones that extend to the pelvic region including the tailbone).
This bony structure gives us the gift of movement. Each bony vertebra sits on top of each other and moves when we move. It gives our body form and shape along with the bones of the skull and the extremities.
Another important job of the spine is to house the spinal cord. This is a muscular tubular structure that houses the nerves running from the brain down the length of the cord. Each nerve has a root that extends from the cord at the level of the organ that it is responsible for supplying “feeling” to. There are many nerve roots that arise from the spinal cord like tendrils. And, the spine keeps them all safe from injury during normal everyday activities.
Each vertebra is separated by a disc. It is a soft pad that cushions and absorbs the shock much like the soles of your shoes when you walk. But it is also tough to withstand a lot of pressure without moving. The middle of these pads contains a jelly-like center that also acts as a cushion.
Now you know what your back looks like. It maintains our erect posture so we can reach, stand, sit, bend and twist. In our next post we’ll move on to the causes of that pain you are feeling.
