Back Pain.

Figure 1 - Detail of backbone, showing discs and vertebrae

Figure 2 - Vertebral column and muscles

Symptoms

What parts of the body does back pain affect?

The back is held upright by muscles attached to the backbone. Doctors often refer to the backbone as the spine, spinal column, or vertebral column. The backbone isn't one long bone, but actually 24 separate bones called vertebrae. These 24 vertebrae are stacked one on top of another to form the backbone.

The points where two vertebrae or bones fit together are called joints. They make it possible for the spine to move and turn in many different directions. Look at the backbone and find the discs located between each vertebra (see figure 1). These discs are made of cartilage, which is a soft, elastic material. Discs act as cushions, or shock absorbers, much like the shock absorbers in your car. Their main job is to protect the joints from wearing out. Most joints contain a slippery substance called synovial fluid that keeps them moving smoothly.

The spinal cord is very important because it transmits electrical signals between the brain and the nerves in your legs, arms, back, and other parts of your body. The spinal cord runs through a hole in each vertebra of the upper and middle parts of your backbone, much like a piece of string through a beaded necklace. The space it runs through is called the spinal canal. At times, a message might signal pain or discomfort. The pain signal is an important one, because pain tells you that some part of your body needs attention.

A serious injury to the neck or upper back runs the risk of damaging the spinal cord, causing paralysis of the parts of the body below the injury. It should be noted that the spinal cord is not present in the lower part of your backbone. Here the spinal canal contains a sack of nerves, the cauda equina.

Your backbone, with all its parts, cannot hold itself upright. It needs strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments for support. Muscles help you move or hold your position (see figure 2). Tendons fasten muscles to bones. And ligaments stretch from one bone to another to hold bones together.

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