Understanding the Human Back

The central nervous system and the surrounding muscles and tendons that allow us to perform our everyday activities are truly amazing. The human back ranges from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. Many people across the world suffer problems with back pain, and complaints about back pain are one of the most commonly occurring reasons that people take visits to the doctor's office. In this article, we'll help to explain how the human back works so that you can better understand what to do should a problem with back pain occur.

The vertebrae are a series of bones that protect the spinal cord from any damage. There are four different types of vertebrae in the back, and they were named according to their locations within the body. The vertebrae that are located within the neck and head are known as cervical vertebrae. There are seven cervical vertebrae within the human body, and they are connected to the thoracic vertebrae. There are 12 thoracic vertebrae which exist underneath the cervical vertebrae and make up much of your upper back. Underneath the thoracic vertebrae are the lumbar vertebrae. There are only 5 lumbar vertebrae, and they make up the base of the lower back. Below the lumbar vertebrae are the sacral vertebrae. Much different than the other vertebrae, the sacral vertebrae are actually fused together. There are five of these vertebrae. Between the vertebrae are soft discs which contain padding and nerves. There are also several muscles present within the back which help it to move.

The most common reason that someone is experiencing back pain is a muscle strain. The muscles of the back help us to create motion and give the spinal cord some flexibility, and when they are strained, intense pain can occur. This can occur in many situations, including car accidents, falls, and heavy lifting. Luckily, muscle strains usually heal without treatment within a period of roughly two weeks.

Another common source of back pain is known as a disc herniation. This problem occurs when one of the discs that are located between the vertebrae tears, allowing some of its soft insides to protrude outside of the disc. The problem is usually caused by wear and tear on the disc that occurs over time, or an instance of heavy lifting or pivoting that causes the disc to rupture. This problem can occur within any disc that is located within the spine, but more often than not, it occurs between cervical vertebrae or lumbar vertebrae, with lumbar disc herniations being the most common. The problem causes back pain and sometimes pain or numbness within the legs, which is known as sciatica.

Now that you know more about the way that the human back works, you can better be able to tell the doctor what you think you may be experiencing. Muscle strains and disc herniations are two of the most commonly occurring back problems, which is important to remember should you experience back pain.

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Mike Serovey is the owner and webmaster for http://www.mikeserovey.net where you can submit your articles for free.