Understanding Low Back Pain

Your Low back, aka the Lumbar Spine

The lumbar spine bears the majority of the load for the spine. It holds the weight for any type of movement or activity the body performs. Therefore, the main purpose of the lumbar spine is to hold everything together, keep you standing upright, and help your body to function physically.

Vertebrae The lumbar spine contains five vertebrae, L1 through L5. Think of these five vertebrae as the weight-bearers for your whole spine, or the major support area of the back. The outside of each vertebra consists of hard bone called cortical bone. The inside of the vertebra is sponge-like and soft, and is called cancellous bone. Your spinal cord passes through a bony ring attached to each vertebra. This bony ring is made up of different parts: the lamina, the spinous process, two transverse processes, and the pedicle bone.	click to enlarge
Intervertebral Discs Between each vertebra you will find an intervertebral disc, which is a soft, gelatinous filling that acts as a cushion for the body. These discs are “shock absorbers” for the pressure put upon your spine. The intervertebral disc is made up of two different parts: the annulus, which is an outer ring of fibers, and the nucleus pulposus, the soft center. The annulus is stronger than the nucleus to keep the entire vertebra intact. The soft nucleus consists mostly of water, so it can absorb pressure.	click to enlarge
Facet Joints Facet joints act as connectors for the vertebrae in your spine. There is one facet joint on each side of a vertebra so that the joints overlap each other. The facet joints are responsible for the flexibility of your spine. These joints are known as synovial joints, which mean that they allow the movement between two bones. Ligaments and soft tissue surround the facet joints and hold synovial fluid in order to “grease” the joints to decrease friction as they rub together.	click to enlarge
	more >