Joints Of The Spine
Published on Nov 20, 2015
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The joints in your spine are called Facet Joints. They link the vertebrae together and give them flexibility to move against each other. The facet joints are synovial joints, which means they allow movement between two bones.
Photo by estherase
The spine is a very important part of your body because it supports all of your upper body's weight, helps maintain good posture, allows movement and flexibility, and protects the spinal cord.
Photo by vagawi
The spine is a column of 26 bones, but when you are younger, you have 33 because the bones in your sacrum and coccyx have not yet fused together. In an adult's body, there are 24 separate vertebrae interspaced with cartilage, plus the sacrum and coccyx.
Photo by EMSL
Every vertebra has four main parts: the body, vertebral foramen, spinous process, and transverse process.
-The body region of the vertebrae carries the most weight and makes up much of the bone's mass.
-The transverse processes are thin columns of bone that point out to the left and right sides of your body.
-The spinous process extends from the ends of the transverse processes
Photo by Leo Reynolds
One man made object that functions like your vertebrae is a hand shower hose. Another is a plumbing snake.
Here is a hand shower hose that functions like your vertebrae.
Cervical: The 7 vertebrae in the neck are the cervical region of the spine. They are the most fragile, but also provide flexibility to the neck. The first cervical vertebra, C1, supports the skull, and the second cervical vertebra, C2, enables the skull and atlas to rotate.
Photo by Lee P Yang
Thoracic: The 12 vertebrae in the chest region make up the spine’s thoracic region. Thoracic vertebrae are big and strong, but they aren't very flexible. The spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae connect the vertebrae.
Photo by Aidan Jones
Fun Fact! Did you know that each thoracic vertebrae forms joints with a pair of ribs, which makes your rib cage?
Photo by photogirl7.1
Lumbar: The 5 vertebrae in the lower back make up the lumbar region of the spine. Lumbar vertebrae are larger and stronger than thoracic vertebrae, plus they are more flexible! All of your upper body’s weight is on the lumbar vertebrae though, which is why so many people experience back problems in this area.
Photo by AdmlCrunch
Sacral: The sacral region of the spine is made up of only your sacrum, which is made of 5 smaller vertebrae that fuse together before adulthood.
Photo by Rob Swatski
Coccygeal: The spine’s coccygeal region is only your coccyx, which is formed by 4 tiny vertebrae that also fuse together when you are young, similar to your sacrum. The coccyx carries your body weight when you sit down and offers attachment for muscles of the pelvic and gluteal regions.
Photo by Ted Zhu
Fun Fact! Did you know that most people have a coccyx made of 4 fused vertebrae, but the coccyx could still function properly with three or five vertebrae?
Photo by Dmitry Terekhov
There are cervical and lumbar enlargements in the bird's spine because of the axons that are needed to control the wing muscles. This is similar to a human. There are many axons that control the limbs, so its back is wider in this area. Also, the thoracic section is thin because the movement of the wings and legs do not have to be coordinated.
Photo by nosha
RAVEN AND FISH VETEBRAE
The snake does not have a cervical or lumbar enlargement of its spinal cord because it doesn't have legs, so it's different from a human spine.
RATTLESNAKE VETEBRAE
Fish muscles move the spine from side to side, which is why they need vertical fins on top of their bodies to move them forward. A fish vertebrae is both similar and different from a human vertebrae.
Photo by .aditya.
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YOUR SPINE
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When one has a slipped disc, the center of their spinal disc has pushed through a crack in the exterior protection. Sometimes when one gets a slipped disc, it can cause pain or a lack of strength in an arm or leg. Sometimes, a slipped disc does not need to be fixed, but when it does, it could need surgery and/or physical therapy.
Photo by downhilldom1984
Spinal Cord Injury happens when the discs in your spinal column that allow communication between the brain and the rest of the body is damaged. When someone gets this injury, that person’s sensory, motor and reflex messages could be very severely dysfunctional. The worse the injury, the worse the person with the injury can function.
Photo by planetc1
Not-So-Fun Fact! Did you know that in the United States alone, over 12,000 people get Spinal Cord Injury every year?
Photo by Camera Eye Photography
Another mechanism of injury to your vertebrae is when you lift something very heavy in a way that causes your back pain.
Photo by Sjoerd Lammers street photography
Discs need nourishment from movement. When you move, blood circulates through the discs, but when you sit, your discs are being deprived of the nutrition they need from the fluid. Sitting for long periods of time with no breaks is a recipe for getting back pain and long term consequences.
Photo by planetc1
Fun Fact! Sitting is harder on your back and causes more stress than lying down or standing up.
Photo by ciocci
When you are sitting and leaning forward, you are locking your pelvis and flexing your spine, which puts strain on the front of your vertebrae, which houses your discs. You put pressure on your discs by arching and making the curve of your spine more prominent. When there is uneven distribution of pressure on your discs, they are at a higher risk of damage.
Photo by lanuiop
As weird as it may seem, just bending down to pick up your dog's chew toy or twisting in an awkward position while vacuuming could hurt your back, especially if you already have back pain in general.
Photo by WordRidden
