Back pain, the cause of absenteeism from work and social obligations, is a pertinent social issue. It is indeed essential to be more aware of the structure of spinal column and how it supports the erect human form. Broadly the spine can be divided into five distinct regions; cervical region, thoracic or dorsal region, lumbar region, sacral region and the coccyx. All these regions have definitive characteristics conforming to the role performed by the muscle mass around them. This article discusses each region, its relevance and functions in factual detail.

Each day, thousands of persons remain absent from work and cannot fulfill social responsibilities because of backache. Thus, back pain is a major social problem. What cannot be expressed in numbers, although it is of equal greater importance, is the profound suffering and compromise in the quality of life that backache victim’s experience.
The spinal column comprises of 33 small and generally flat bones called vertebrae, sitting one on top of the other from the neck to the top of the buttocks. The vertebral column has a double V shape. It curves slightly forwards in the neck, slightly backward in the chest, slightly forward again in the small of the back and backward again in its toughest part. For simplification, doctors divide the spine into five regions:

The Cervical Region

This is the neck area of the spine comprising of seven upper vertebrae, the uppermost of which supports the head. The cervical spine, especially the joint between the first cervical vertebra and the skull, is very flexible so that you can move your head backwards and forwards, or from side to side, or turn it. These cervical vertebrae are called the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ bones because they allow us to nod ‘yes’ and shake our heads to express ‘no’.

The Thoracic or Dorsal Region

This is the backside of the chest area, comprising of twelve vertebrae. These vertebrae are larger and heavier than those of the cervical region. The reason for this is that each thoracic vertebra gives attachment not only two ribs but also to a number of powerful muscles which need something firm to pull against. When you do heavy work involving your arms, shoulders and upper trunk, considerable stresses are produced on thoracic vertebrae. Since thoracic vertebrae are attached to ribs, which, in turn, are attached to the relatively rigid sternum, the vertical breast-bone, only slight movement, in the form of rotation, occurs in this region of the spine.

The Lumbar Region

This area, also called the small of the back, comprises of five vertebrae. Like the cervical spine, the lumbar spine, too, is very flexible allowing a variety of movements. Stand upright and bow from the waist; then lean backwards as far as you can; then bend sideward as much as possible; finally, twist your upper body to the right and the left keeping the hips arid the legs straight. In all these maneuvers, you are mainly moving your lumbar spine. The twisting movement also occurs at the thoracic spine, as stated earlier.

Lumbar vertebrae, again, are large and strong because they support the weight of the upper body and give attachments to many powerful muscles that move the trunk and the legs. Most low back pains originate because of something wrong with the muscles, ligaments or vertebrae of this region of the spine.

The Sacral Region

This is the area just above the buttocks. No significant movement is possible in this part of the spine because the five vertebrae that make it up are fused together to form a single, broad, triangular structure called the sacrum. The sacrum, on its sides, gives attachment to the two in nominate hip bones. These three bones together form the pelvis, a cavity which protects important structures like the uterus, and the urinary bladder.

The Coccyx

This is the lowermost part of the spine formed by the fusion of four very small vertebrae. It can be felt under the skin at the top of the cleft between the buttocks. In fact, the coccyx is the remnant of the tail found in primates like monkeys who use it to swing from tree to tree. In humans, it functions as a stable site of attachment for some muscles.

Coccyx seldom gives rise to trouble or pain. However, if you suffer the misfortune of falling heavily on your bottom, the sort of thing that happens if somebody plays the foolish trick of whipping your chair away when you were about to sit, you may injure this tail. Such coccygeal pain is known to persist for a long time, sometimes even months, though no fracture is usually seen on a radiograph X-ray. Eventually, however, the pain does go away.

Conclusion:

The five regions of the spinal column with a total of 33 vertebrae have characteristic roles to play in the motion mechanics of the body. The supple uppermost seven vertebrae support the neck whereas the lower most four vertebrae exist in a rigid fused state to form the coccyx. The spinal column thus from the most flexible and weak at the top becomes rigid at the bottom. The nature of injury and force required to bring that about also varies from the neck to the hip region. The back pain primarily originates in the middle lumbar region which contributes the most to the human body movement.

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