12 Fascinating Facts About Your Spine

Strong Back
Most of us probably take our spine for granted; after all, we may not even give it much thought until something goes wrong. But, this amazing body structure deserves our attention right now. Our spines support our entire body and allow us to move in incredible ways. Here are 12 fascinating facts about your spine that will leave you never wanting to take it for granted again:
1. Your spine contains more than 120 muscles and 100 joints, as well as 220 ligaments.
2. The spinal column serves three major functions: supporting the body’s weight; forming a protective surrounding for the spinal cord, including its nerve roots and fibres; and providing flexibility as you move.
3. The number one case of workplace disability is problems associated with spinal disorders.
4. When we are babies, we have 33 vertebrae. However, as we become adults, we end up with only 26. So where to the nine remaining bones go? Four of them fuse to make our tailbone, and five fuse to form the back of the pelvis.
5. Even though their necks are quite a bit longer than ours, both giraffes and humans have seven vertebrae in our necks!
6. One-quarter of your spine’s length is made up of cartilage.
7. Perhaps that is why the spine is so flexible. It can bend far enough to form two-thirds of a circle!
8. Four out of five people will suffer from some type of back pain during their lives. Although headaches are considered to be the most common location of pain experience, back pain is considered to be a close second.
9. The most common type of back pain is lower back pain because our lower back twists and bends more than any other part of the back. It also bears the weight of the upper body.
10. Vehicle accidents are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries.
11. Your spine is very strong. In fact, it can bear the pressure of hundreds of kilograms!
12. Back pain can signify other ailments in the body. For example, pain experienced in the middle of the back that becomes worse after eating can alert doctors to a stomach ulcer.
Or, if your have intermittent back pain reaching toward your groin, you may have kidney stones.
Are you experiencing pain and discomfort in your own incredible spine? Please get in touch with Dr. Sharma so you can keep this amazing body structure as healthy as possible.