KNOW YOUR SPINE

Keeping your spine healthy is vital if you want to live an active life!!!

Your spine has the most important jobs in the human body. Your spine is made up of small donut-shaped bones, called vertebrae, which sit on top of one another, separated only by pieces of spongy tissue called discs. Intervertebral discs act as shock-absorbing cushions for the vertebrae. Without a spinal cord you could not move any part of your body, and your organs could not function.

The vertebrae are the 24 bones that make up your spine. The bones in the vertebrae are divided in five categories:

·                The top seven bones are part of the  cervical spine. They control the flexibility in your neck and support your head movements. Cervical vertebrae are slightly smaller than the rest of the bones in your spine.

·                The next 12 vertebrae are part of the  thoracic spine  and are connected to your ribs, which extend just past your shoulder blades and protect your vital organs. You get your stability from the thoracic vertebrae as well as the support to lift heavy objects.

·                Many people are familiar with the next five vertebrae of the lumbar spinal region. These are the biggest and heaviest vertebrae and support the total weight of your whole spine. Most lower back pain occurs in the hard-working  lumbar spine.

·                The  sacrum  is a bone that’s shaped like a triangle and connects your spine to your hips. This vertebrae controls signals to your genitalia, your upper legs and thighs. It’s very tough and rarely damaged except in traumatic accidents.

·                The  coccyx  is the last vertebrae, also called the tailbone. It’s made up of four bones fused together to support you while sitting. The tailbone on a woman is slightly rotated to accommodate childbirth, leaving it more exposed to injury.

Symptoms:

Cervical and thoracic pain usually affects the central or paraspinal soft tissue without radiating into the arms, around the chest or down the legs.  Sometimes if the pain radiating from chest wall implies structural pinching of the nerves in the spine, it may require a surgical solution if it fails to improve in days or weeks. There are also some other symptoms as follows:

1. Inability to maintain normal posture due to pain
2. Stiffness in the low back area
3. Ifhe pain lasts for more than 10-15 days.
4. Muscle spasms either with activity or at rest.

Get your Spine Health back:

Dr. Arun Prakash, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Murugan Hospitals will “Make you walk within 8 hours”. He hopes to take care of the precious parts of your back. With an initial visit, we will complete a thorough medical history and physical examination. If needed, an X- Ray, CT or  MRI may be prescribed, although it is not always necessary. Get to know your spine better to treat it better with our orthopaedic surgeon. We develop walking, sitting and standing techniques that lead to a healthy back.