Understanding Your Back

What Makes A Healthy Back?
Your back is your body's main support.  Along with your muscles and joints it allows you to move and carry weight.  But your back is also a delicate, finely balanced structure that can be easily injured if not cared for properly.  Knowing the basics of back care can make the difference between a healthy back and an aching one.

The Parts of Your Back
Your backbone (or spinal column) is composed of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae.  Separating the vertebrae are cushion-like pads, called discs, that absorb shock.  Ligaments and muscles support those vertebrae and discs keep your back properly aligned in three balanced curves.  When any of these various parts becomes diseased, injured or weakened, back problems and pain are almost certain to follow.

What's in Your Back?
Your back is an intricate network of muscles, ligaments, discs and nerves.  It's a delicate system with a big job.  Your back carries most of your body's weight and supports your spinal column, the main pathway of your nervous system.

The Parts of Your Back
Vertebrae - Small bones called vertebrae form your spine.  Your spine supports your head and trunk, makes your body flexible and protects your spinal cord.  There are five types of vertebrae:

• Seven small, flexible cervical vertebrae support your skull and neck.
• Your chest cavity is formed by24 ribs extending from 12 thoracic vertebrae.
• The five lumber vertebrae are the largest and carry most of your body weight.
• Five fused vertebrae below your lumbar vertebrae form the sacrum.
• Fused vertebrae from the coccyx, or tailbone.

Discs - In between your vertebrae are shock absorbers called discs.  Disc have a strong outer casing with a pliable jelly-             like substance inside.

Spinal Cord - Your spinal cord, with your brain, forms your central nervous system.  It's about 18 inches long and a half                           inch thick.  It runs through a canal in your vertebrae.

Nerves - About 31 pairs of nerves branch out from your spinal cord and travel throughout your body.  These nerves                       carry commands to your organs and muscles and relay messages about touch, temperature and pain.

Muscles - Some 400 muscles work together to keep your spine steady, maintain your posture and help you move.

Tendons - More than 1,000 tendons connect muscles to your bones.

Ligaments - Bands of tissue between your bones support your back and keep it from moving more than it should.

Your Supporting Role
Your back supports you in everything you do. Your role is to support your back by using good posture, exercise and body mechanics to keep it strong, flexible and balanced.