Ever wondered how your spine works? Your Clifton family chiropractic, Dr. Lou is a master at helping the miraculous, elegant machine that is your spine. Because we’re about all things back related, this post is here to help you learn a little more about what is inside. Your spine provides for all of your skeletal structure, attaching to your skull and to your pelvis and allowing for maximum flexibility. Not only that - it houses the spinal cord, which is the nerve conduit in the body. Your brain is plugged in directly to the body through the spine, and its many channels of nerves that deliver messages across your entire system.

Your brain and spinal cord are really a unit, allowing the regulation of everything in your body, including your temperature and heart rate.

The spinal nerves make this transmission possible - these are branches from the spinal cord that are actually extending down in five sections. When you visit Dr. Lou, your Clifton family chiropractic doctor, you may hear some of these terms that each identify a different area of your spine:

Cervical Spine

This refers to your neck. Look at a chart of the spine and you’ll see that you have seven cervical vertebrae, termed C-1 through C-7. These are the smallest bones in your spine, but contain the thickest section of spinal cord .

Your spinal cord actually tapers as it drapes down your back, because nerve fibers are taking turns out of the spine to reach the different parts of your body. By the time the spinal cord reaches your lower back, it is many times thinner than it is in the neck.

Neck injuries are serious in part because the spinal cord is largest in the neck. Dr. Lou can help patients with certain neck injuries, such as whiplash. If you’re experiencing any amount of neck pain, a trip to the chiropractor can certainly help you recover faster, and avoid chronic pain, than if you do nothing.

Thoracic Spine

The upper area of your back is called the thoracic spine. This is the largest area, with 12 vertebrae termed T-1 through T-12. While this area of the back is less prone to injury, pain here should be addressed by a chiropractic practitioner. Nerves that extend from the spine at the thoracic level down are responsible for the functions of the lower body.

Lumbar Spine

The lumbar spine is the area of your lower back. The five vertebrae contained in it are large and termed L-1 through L-5. It’s more common to experience lower back pain, as this area is the fulcrum of your body’s weight, and poor posture or sports injuries can create problems here.

Sacral Spine

This is the lowest part of the spine and helps create the pelvis. The five sacral vertebrae are termed S-1 through S-5. This area of your body is quite strong and note prone to injury save for actual trauma.

To find out more about your back, visit Dr. Lou, your Clifton family chiropractic doctor, and start getting the health and wellness you deserve today.