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