Term27

Spine

The Spine

SPINE

The Spinal Column is also called the vertebral column. The bones in the spine are called vertebrae (ver-ta-bray). The column starts at the base of the skull and continues to the pelvis. Alternate layers of bone (vertebrae) and cartilage (car-til-ledge, the intervertebral discs) stack vertically one on top of the other in the spinal column. The lattice-like structure of the cancellous bone (cancel-lus, the spongy interior) in a vertebra absorbs external pressure.
The cartilaginous discs between vertebrae absorb and distribute shock and keep the vertebrae from grinding together during movement.

Aligning the Spine

“Stand up straight!? “Pull your shoulders back!? As children, we were told to have good posture. Yet we were seldom taught effective ways to accomplish this. Indeed, we were often not even told just what “good posture? is.
The consequences of this information gap can be seen all around us: stiff necks, shoulders hunched forward or pulled tightly back, restricted breathing, and tightness in the thighs, legs and ankles. Backaches, headaches, and other painful symptoms are often the unfortunate result.
Causes of poor posture
The causes of poor posture can be divided into two categories: positional and structural. Structural causes are basically permanent anatomical deformities not amenable to correction by conservative treatments. Positional causes of poor posture include.

The Spine

More than 30 million visits were made to physician offices in 2002 because of back problems. Eight out of 10 people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Low back pain is one of the most frequent problems treated by orthopaedic surgeons.

What is the lower back?

Your lower back is a complex structure of vertebrae, disks, spinal cord, and nerves, including:

* five bones called lumbar vertebrae - stacked one upon the other, connecting the upper spine to the pelvis

* six shock absorbers called disks - acting both as cushion and stabilizer to protect the lumbar vertebrae

Low Back Pain

The lower back is an elegant construction of bone, muscle, and ligament. Because the lower back is the hinge between the upper and lower body, it is especially vulnerable to injury when you are lifting, reaching, or twisting. When low back pain strikes, we become acutely aware of just how much we rely on a flexible, strong back. Ironically, most of us don't think of the importance of keeping our back and stomach muscles strong until we have back trouble.

See an illustration of the lower back (lumbosacral region of the spine)

Up to 85% of all people have low back pain at one time or another. Each year, about 2% of American workers are compensated for disability caused by back pain.1 Low back pain is often triggered by some combination of overuse, muscle strain, or injury to the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. Less commonly, low back pain is caused by illness or spinal deformity.

Spinal Cord Trauma

Vertebrae

Cauda Equina

Vertebra and Spinal Nerves

Alternative names
Spinal cord compression or injury; Compression of spinal cord

Definition Return to top

Spinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord that results from direct injury to the cord itself, or from indirect injury from damage to the bones, soft tissues, and blood vessels surrounding the spinal cord.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

Spinal cord trauma can be caused by any number of injuries to the spine. They can result from motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries (particularly diving into shallow water), industrial accidents, gunshot wounds, assault, and others.

Treating Spondylosis with Core Stability Training

Conservative treatment is successful 75% of the time. Many patients find their pain and other symptoms can be effectively treated without surgery.

During the acute phase, anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics, and muscle relaxants may be prescribed for a short period of time. The affected area may be immobilized and/or braced. For cervical spondylosis, soft cervical collars may be used to restrict movement and alleviate pain. While for lumbar spondylosis, lumbosacral orthotics may decrease the lumbar load by stabilizing the lumbar spine. In physical therapy, heat, electrical stimulation, and other modalities may be incorporated into the treatment plan to control muscle spasm and pain.