What are the Structures of the Back?
The spine is composed of three regions from your neck to the lower back. The cervical region corresponds to your neck, the thoracic region is the mid-back, or back of the chest, and the lumbar area is the lower back. The lumbararea provides the most motion and works the hardest in supporting your weight, and enables you to bend, twist and lift. Each area of the spine is composed of stacked bony vertebral bodies with interposed cushioning pads called discs. The vertebral bodies provide protection for the spinal cord and nerve roots that exit the spinal cord. Between each vertebral body, the disc serves as a shock absorber, giving you the flexibility to move. Each disc consists of a jelly-like fluid filled center or nucleus surrounded by a stiff ligament-like outer ring, called the annulus. This hydraulic type of system enables you to perform heavy lifting and twisting tasks by moving fluid in and out of the discs. However, this hydraulic ability of the disc diminishes with time and can
