WHAT DO OUR BACKS DO FOR US?

Our backs are an essential part of who we are. Without them, we would be unable to stand, walk, twist, turn, bend or lift. We use our backs in almost every activity of daily living. Therefore, when we experience pain in our backs, we must take it seriously.

The term 'back' describes the trunk of the body below the neck, right down to the tailbone. The upper back is called the thoracic spine and the lower back is the lumbar spine. The back is made up of bone, muscle and other types of tissue. Thirty-three small bones called vertebrae (shaped like irregular rings) are stacked on top of each other to form the spine which supports the weight of the body and houses and protects the spinal cord. Topped by the skull, the spinal column sits in a large bony bowl called the pelvis. The tailbone or coccyx, is a set of fused vertebrae at the base of the spine and serves no real function.

The vertebrae, which give our back flexibility, are stacked on top of each other and connected by discs at the front and by facet joints at the back. The discs that separate the vertebrae provide cushioning and act as shock absorbers. Facet joints (found only in the lower back) are cup-shaped surfaces that form movable joints with our hips. At each of the vertebrae, nerves branch out to the rest of the body. Tough ligaments help to bind the vertebrae together and strengthen the back.