Your spine is crucial to good health. So many of the entire body’s vital functions are within the spine. It gives you support, allows you to walk upright, and carries all the necessary information for you to conduct your day.
We mistreat our spines. We slouch, we hunch, and we twist and turn in uncomfortable ways just to get comfortable in the short term. These short term alleviations create long-term problems for a body part that needs the best care it can get. Without setting long-term solutions, you will have issues the rest of your life.
Absolute Life Wellness Center helps those that want it. Most importantly, we want you to know how crucial your spine is. Knowing the multiple functions it provides will give you the drive to improve your health. Don’t settle for temporary solutions. Do better.
Anatomy of the Spine
The spine is separated into five distinct sections:
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- Cervical
The cervical region is critical. It houses the neck and is also home to the beginning of the spinal cord. It possesses seven vertebrae that assist in giving an almost unlimited mobility to your head. The neck can move 180 degrees left and right and almost 180 degrees vertically as well.The neck holds the beginning of the nervous system. Since the brain is on top of the neck, electrical signals must pass from the brain to the nerves to let you function. The neck is a haven for all these nerves, providing a simple system for them to be distributed and protected at the same time.
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- Thoracic
The thoracic region comprises most of the spine. It extends from just below the neck to roughly the hips. The thoracic area gives you an upright posture for your day to day activities. It does not bear much of the weight of the body unlike the lumbar region.This area also provides a limited amount of flexibility for the body. While it does have a range of movement, the thoracic region is also home to the rib cage. To keep the organs in place and to work correctly, the thoracic region is designed to limit much jostling. That is why you can slightly bend and stretch the upper back.
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- Lumbar
This region is the lowest part of your back. It has the burden of bearing the most weight, resting securely at the bottom. The spinal column compresses down on it at all times. The lumbar region compensates by curving inward. The curvature at the bottom allows a minimal amount of weight distribution, getting rid of a singular point where all the weight would be.The nerves that pass through the spinal column primarily end between the second and first vertebrae of the lumbar region. There are several nerves that extend below these two vertebrae that power most of the musculature below the waste. This includes your legs, hips, feet, external waste systems, and even the bladder.
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- Sacral
While part of the spine, the sacral region is unlike the three sections above it. Instead of possessing vertebrae allowing flexibility, the vertebrae within the sacrum are all fused. This gives a firm structure to the pelvis, which houses the hips and helps move the legs. If this foundation were flexible, it would be much harder to move.What is interesting about the sacrum is that it is so vastly different in both men and women. Women have a shorter and wider sacrum, providing an alternative functionality versus the male sacrum.
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- Coccyx
The coccyx is considered part of the spine but possesses little to no functionality for the body at all. It is a remnant of evolutionary history. The coccyx in many other species is usually the origination point for a tail. Humans do not. The coccyx is a reminder of our ancestry from long ago.The coccyx also serves as an adhering point. It is the focal area for many muscles and ligaments for the pelvis and below. Additionally, the coccyx can be utilized as a balancing element when sitting. It can provide support and help make sitting a bit easier.
What Causes Back Pain?
Back pain has many causes. Knowing the affected region can help isolate causes and increase treatment times considerably. For instance, if you are suffering from pain in the lower back, it may be due to lifting something heavy, thereby damaging one of the muscles or even cause bulging vertebrae. For upper back pain, you may have irritated your neck by craning it a certain way. This could also exacerbate muscles or pinch a nerve.
From muscle inflammation to bulging vertebra to pinched nerves, the causes are countless. What is most critical is treatment. Absolute Life Wellness Center is ready and willing to help you address your pain. If you want to have a better tomorrow, contact us now and help take care of your pain today.