Home
Back Pain Blog
My Book
Q and A
Free Resources
My Story
Interactive Forum
Back Pain
Types of BackPain
Acute Back Pain
Chronic Back Pain
Low Back Pain
Neck Pain
Coccyx Pain
Muscle Pain
Pain Epidemic
Herniated Discs
Sciatica
Disc Disease
Pinched Nerve
Spinal Stenosis
Osteoarthritis
Facet Syndrome
Scoliosis
Lordosis Kyphosis
Spondylolisthesis
Osteoporosis
Piriformis Pain
Sacroiliac Pain
Womens BackPain
Fibromyalgia
Pregnancy Pain
Combination Pain
Back Injury
Spinal Cord Injury
Recovery
Psychosomatic
Pain Syndromes
Tension Myositis
Back Pain Relief
Treatments
Back Pain Drugs
Back Surgery
Decompression
Chiropractic
 Back Exercises
Back Pain Diet
Backpain Products
Knowledge
Back Pain Doctors
Doctor Directory
Anatomy
About C-B-P.ORG
Contact Me
Back Pain Survey
Site Map
Search the Site
Advertising Info
Health Links

XML RSS
What is this?
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google

cure back pain

Spine Anatomy

BASIC SPINE ANATOMY

The spine is also called the vertebral column. The spine is a bony column extending from the skull to the pelvis. It is made up of 33 individual bones in most people. The spine is designed to bear the weight of the body as well as provide protection for the spinal cord, spinal nerves and internal organs.


Spine, Basic anatomy of the spine.


Spine Function

The spine also is a central attachment point for many other structures in the body. Ligaments, tendons and muscles all attach to the spine. The ribs also attach to the spine in the thoracic region. The bones in the spine are living tissue and help to produce red blood cells as well as store important minerals needed by the body.

The normal spine is curved in the shape of the letter “S”. The "S" curve helps a healthy spine act as a shock absorber and distribute stress evenly. The cervical spine curves slightly inward, the thoracic curves outward, and the lumbar curves inward. It is common for a spinal problem to cause a change in this natural shape and possibly cause pain.

Human Spine Anatomy

The human spinal column is a miracle of design and functionality. It is one of the primary contributors to the success of our species. The spine is a rugged and durable anatomical structure which is designed to withstand all the demands placed upon it by normal life. The spine has a bad reputation for a being a major source of chronic pain and problems, but this reputation is largely undeserved. Most long term pain syndromes are a direct result of a psychosomatic process rather than spinal malfunction.
Spine Anatomy to Back Pain Home page 5/12/06 Revised 6/9/07

footer for spine anatomy page