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Get to Know Your Spine!
The spine is a column of bones, ligaments and
nerves and performs two critical tasks. It is
a physical structure that links most parts of
your body together, and it houses the spinal
cord that connects your brain to every part
of your body.
The spinal column begins in the neck and
ends at the tailbone. The spine is a column
of 33 bones called vertebrae. Individually
each bone is called a vertebra.
The vertebrae are stacked one on top of
the other and are held together by discs,
ligaments and muscles. Ligaments keep
the spine stable and the muscles provide a
limited degree of movement.
The springy discs between each vertebra
keep the bones from rubbing together and
serve as shock absorbers for the spinal
column.
The spinal column is divided into 4 sections.
Each section is given a name and each
vertebra is numbered.
© New Zealand Spinal Trust, 2014
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