The spine is a wondrous piece of architecture.
It houses the main electrical fuse box for our
bodies - the spinal cord - yet the back is capable
of lifting tremendous amounts of weight. At
the same time, the bones in the back feature
a series of hinges that allow us to rotate,
bend, twist and arch backward.
The spinal column is a column of bones and
discs that are stacked on top of each other
like cups and saucers. The bones in the spine
are called vertebra. A single bone segment is
called a vertebrae.
In order to keep the bones from grinding against
each other, there are cushioning discs found
between the individual bones. The discs resemble
a jelly donut in that they have a fimer outer
wall and a jelly-like substance in the middle.
The spinal cord runs from the base of the skull
to the tailbone in the lower back. This spinal
cord is safely encased within the protective
framework of the vertebral column of bones.
The column of bones is supported by facet joints,
muscles, ligaments and tendons which allow a
person to bend and twist. See the anatomy lesson
home page for an extended explanation of how
your back is constructed.
Visit the other pages via the navigation bar
at the top of this page to learn more about
back problems, and then visit the exercise to
learn how you can help prevent back injuries
from occurring by performing some simple exercises
at home.
