What are the main anatomical regions of the spine?
The spine is made up of a large number of spinal bones (vertebrae) linked together by intervertebral discs and facet joints. The human spine is divided into the cervical (highest), thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal (lowest) regions. The vertebrae (spinal bones) in each region are numbered according to their region (letter C, T, L or S) and location (number). What are the intervertebral discs? The intervertebral discs are soft structures which act as shock absorbers between each of the vertebrae (bones) in the spine. A single disc sits between each vertebra. Each intervertebral disc has a strong outer ring of fibres (‘annulus’), and a soft, jelly-like centre (nucleus). The central soft and juicy nucleus is a spherical structure that acts allows tilting, rotating, and gliding movements in the spine. The nucleus also serves as the main shock absorber. It is a transparent, gelatinous substance that contains 88 percent water in young adults. With age and/or degeneration, the water con
