Your spine has a big job when it comes to keeping you well and functioning at your best! So let take a moment to get acquainted with this very integral part of you, that is often forgotten about because it literally hangs out in the background and when it is doing its job correctly, it does it so well that we most of the time, don’t even notice it is there!

When we break it down your spine has two very important roles;

1. To hold you upright, without the spine we would all be heaps on the floor.
2. To protect and nourish the central nervous system.

Here are some spinal facts to impress your mates with….

• Your spine is part of you axial Skelton.
• The human spine usually consists of 33 vertebra.
• In an adult spine 24 of the vertebra are moveable and are separated by intervertebral discs.
• The remaining 5 vertebra in the sacrum and four that make up the coccyx become fused by the time we are adults.
• The articulating vertebra are grouped into regions, which correspond to the curves of the spinal column. There are 7 cervical vertebra, 12 thoracic vertebra and 5 Lumbar vertebra.

The hard, durable nature, along with the gradual and specific curvatures of the spine are ideal for protecting the delicate nerve tissue of the brain stem, spinal cord and nerve roots that a housed within or have an extremely close relationship with the spine.

What is really interesting is in more recent times the spine’s role appears to be even more in depth than originally thought, the more we learn about the spine the greater appreciation there is for its role in keeping us operating at our optimal potential and living our best lives, so here’s to our trusty spine!!!

The results of some studies have indicated that vertebral subluxations (those dysfunctional spinal segments) lead to changes in the information that the spine sends to the brain. These changes to information reaching the brain actually change the brain itself. Spinal function seems to be one factor the brain uses as part of its processing and integration of information to create your inner virtual reality. (Haavik, 2014)

So, with this new found love and appreciation of your spine it is important to recognise that you only get one spine, so be sure to look after it and not wait till it breaks down to pay it some attention and give it some love! Chiropractic Care is a great way to maintain and promote spinal health . Also check out our previous blog post “How to keep your spine happy and healthy” for some tips to best support your spine on top of your chiropractic care.