Your spine consists of 33 bones called vertebrae.
The vertebrae are divided into major areas of the spine:
- Cervical Spine (Neck)
- Thoracic Spine (Ribs)
- Lumbar Spine (Lower Back)
- Sacral Spine (Pelvis)
Lumbar Spine
The lumbar spine consists of five numbered vertebrae: L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5. The “L” represents the lumbar spine, and the number represents the order in which the vertebrae appear. L5 is the closest vertebrae to your tailbone. The numbers of the vertebrae get smaller as you move away from the tailbone. Therefore L1 is the farthest lumbar vertebrae from the tailbone.
Sacrum
The lumbar spine connects your upper body to your lower body
by way of your tailbone, or coccyx. The sacrum is part of
the pelvis. Your lower body provides you with your
strength and mobility.
Sacral Spine
The sacral spine consists of five vertebrae as well, labeled S1 through S5, with S1 being the closest sacral vertebrae to the lumbar spine. The space between L5 and S1 (called the L5/S1 disc space) is the disc that connects the lumbar spine and sacral spine. This disc space between the lumbar and sacral spine is often a common source of low back pain. |
