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How It Works: The Intricate Structure of the Back

PaulC | Jun 28, 2010 |

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It may not seem like it, but your back is a very complicated part of your anatomy. A lot of people just take everything the back does for granted, but it is used to move and bend us in a number of ways. Unfortunately, it isn't until we experience an injury or our backs stop working that we realize just how important it is to keep the back healthy. This article will focus on the overall structure of the back in order to help you to understand how it works.

The human back structure is made up of lots of little rounded bones that are stacked on top of one another that are called vertebrae. These tiny bones make up what is known as the spinal column and work together to accommodate your spinal cord, which fits inside through tiny openings in the middle of the vertebrae. The long tube that runs from the very base of your brain down to your tail bone is called the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a sort of nerve center where all the nerves in the body rise and branch out from to reach the various extremities of the body.

Five separate sections make up the human spinal column including the coccyx or tailbone area, the sacral or pelvic area, the lumbar or lower back area, the thoracic or chest area and the cervical or neck area.

There is a natural curve to your spine, designed to allow you to move with fluid motions. The spongy discs that are placed in between each vertebra also increase the ease of movement that we humans enjoy. There is a soft, spongy middle inside these discs that helps to add a layer of protection to the spinal cord, and a tougher, outer layer that helps to give added weight support to all of the vertebrae both below and above it.

In between each vertebra there are spaces that allow the various nerves to pass through to the rest of the body. Your organs, muscles, ligaments, skin, tendons and other parts receive messages from these nerves to help them function properly and efficiently. Nerve impulses are passed at a lightning-fast speed from the nerves to the organs to the brain and then back again to relay messages. For example, the amount of time it takes for you to place your hand on a hot stove and the pull your hand away, screaming in pain, is relatively short.

Hopefully this overview of the structure of your back will help you to gain a better understanding of how it all works. So if you ever experience back pain, you'll know that there are many variables that can affect it. A lot of the basic aches and pains that we suffer are due in large part to the complex duties of the back that we require it to accomplish on a daily basis. You have hopefully gained a bigger respect for the importance of keeping your back healthy, now that you understand what an essential support system it is for your body as a whole.

What are the best exercises for a healthy back? What are the most effective treatment options for sciatica? Get the answers, and more, at the Back Pain and Sciatica Relief site.