Back Pain Solutions-The Structure of the Spine (Part 16)

Back Pain Solutions and the spine a marvel of engineering in our midst!

Back pain solutions that work long term are only discovered when lower back pain and sciatica sufferers understand what’s really going on in their spines and are given the CORRECT diagnosis!

To lay a good foundation for the correct pain diagnosis it’s wise to consider the  structure of the spine.

The spine, for me, is a feat of strutural and mechanical engineering to be marvelled at.

The main structure of the spine is the spinal column which supports the upper body’s weight and protects the spinal cord which carries important and crucial nerve transmissions via the autonomic nervous system throughout the body as it controls and regulates our movements.

The spinal column is comprised of  thirty bones or vertebrae, stacked one on top of the other and each of these bones has a round hole in the centre through which the sensitive spinal cord passes. The spinal cord flows down from the base of the brain to just below the ribs.

Small nerves enter and emerge from the spinal cord into our arms and legs, through spaces between the bone vertebrae. Because the bones of the spinal column continue to grow long after the spinal cord has reached its full length (in early childhood), the nerve roots to the lower back and legs extend many inches down the spinal column before exiting. The large bundle of nerve roots at the base of the spine is called the cauda equina, or horse’s tail.

The spaces between the thirty bone vertebrae are maintained by round, spongy pads of cartilage called intervertebral spinal discs which promote flexibility and act as shock absorbers as the body moves about. Bands of ligament and tendon tissue hold the thirty vertebrae in place and attach muscles to the spinal column.It’s a very intricate and extensive piece of engineering and we can wonder at the intricacy of it all even though we usually take our spines for granted or even grow to see our spines as the ‘enemy’.

The spinal vertabrae are divided into four main areas comprised of:

  1. seven neck vertebrae, known as C1–C7,
  2. twelve upper back vertebrae known as T1–T12,
  3. five lower back vertebrae, known as  L1–L5 and the
  4. sacrum and coccyx which are a group of bones fused together at the bottom of the spine.

It’s the lower back holding the L1-L5 vertabrae that supports most of the upper body’s weight and which is most subject to wear and tear in life. It’s also where the autonomic nervous system is most dense and not surprisingly the most common site for lower back pain and where most back pain remedies focus on.

Are we grateful for this mobility miracle in our midst? And as far as back pain solutions are concerned, what if our spine’s mechanics or structure aren’t at the root of our pain?

What if perhaps the pain in the back though real and caused by oxygen deprivation, had a root cause somewhere else in the body and the wouldn’t stop despite all the lower back pain treatment and sciatica treatment undergone unless this was fixed?

MRI scans may reveal spinal disc bulges, herniations, and even degeneration (radiographers don’t expect to see perfect spines in those over 30) but are these really the ROOT cause of pain!

Why do so many people with lower back pain and sciatica nerve pain suffer after surgery has removed the disc bulge from the spinal column or after spinal fusions?

After surgery, I STILL have a spinal cyst, two remaining disc bulges, curvature of the spine and also excessive vertebral deterioration BUT I’m not in pain anymore because I found the way out and you can too and it’s not hard or expensive either…

Back pain solutions that work long term aren’t hard to find therefore if you know where to look!

In my next blog post I’ll be discussing sciatica symptoms and back pain symptoms in more detail…