Back Pain- Anatomy of the Lower Back- Part 1
Lower back pain is the leading cause of workplace absentness in America. With more and more people becoming less and less productive because of back related problems, lets take an deeper look into the anatomy of the lower back and how lower back pain can be avoided.
The lumbar spine or lower back is an important part of the body. This flexible lower portion of the spinal column is what supports the core of your body and connects the foundation, being your lower extremities to this core. It is easy to see how pain could be associated in this area of the body. The lower back is connected to the bodies largest muscles from the upper and lower sections and it is this responsibility that leads to pain. The human spine is made up of bony blocks called vertebra, these are tough, chunky bones. In fact the parts of your spine you can see from behind when you look in the mirror are the bony parts at the back of the vertebra, these are called the spinous processes. The vertebra also has bony projections to the sides and these are called transverse processes, you can’t see these yourself but your Ventura chiropractor can feel them. The vertebra are separated from one another by big, shock absorbing spinal discs. Each vertebra overlaps the one below at the back to form joints, one on each side. These joints are called facet joints. Facet joints are the links in the chain, they are the key to movement in the human spine and to many types of world ending back pain too.