The "back" is technically the "spine" and is made up of several parts. Looking from the side, it makes a long S-curve. The spine has four main curves: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, and the fused sacral/coccyx. The curves are not present at birth and only begin to develop when an infant achieves vertical standing and at toddler stage when he or she begins to walk. The downward press of gravity shapes the spine and gives each curve an all-important role in maintaining the health of the back and producing bipedal stance.
The cervical spine or upper neck can be felt at your hairline, just at the base of the skull. It is responsible for tipping the chin upward and downward. The upper part of the cervical spine also contains the muscles responsible for eye motions. If you keep your fingertips at the base and dart your eyes back and forth, you'll detect the motions of these fine muscles. The lower cervical spine is convex-shaped. You can usually feel the prominent southernmost vertebra as it meets the shoulders. The neck has the greatest amount of range of motion of the spine. It can create a telescoping effect and can swivel to almost look completely behind you.
This has a concave shape and is connected with the rib cage. You can trace the prominent spinous processes, the visible bumps of the spine, by running your thumbs from your shoulders down to the top of your waist. It is chronically stiff since it's girdled by the rib cage, so developing mobility in the thoracic spine requires patience.
Put your hands around your waist to find the lumbar spine. This part of the spine is particularly vulnerable because it's balancing the weight of the trunk against the unwieldy weighty legs. What's special about the lumbar spine is its springboard effect on the spine. Its convex shape allows the impact against the ground to dissipate as you step.
Finally, place your hands on your hip bones, fingers facing forward, and your thumbs will end up on top of the fused vertebrae of the sacrum. Very large forces converge here - at the sacroiliac joints - the place where the lumbar spine and the sacrum meet. That means that this area is extremely vulnerable and requires careful positioning and handling if you are to avoid injury. At the bottom of this fusion lies the coccyx or tailbone.
These are pieces of cartilage that lie between the vertebrae. Think of them as being like jelly donuts, with a soft center and a hard exterior. They provide cushioning in between the vertebrae but, even more importantly, they give range to the spine so it can bend and twist as required. Protecting the spine means protecting these all-important discs. And that is achieved by strengthening the back and by learning posture control.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Andrew Watts at 07272010
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