THE BACK'S ANATOMY

By: Dr. Donna A. Pontoriero, Chiropractor

Keeping your spinal cord functioning properly is one of the keys to healthy living. A healthy spinal cord lets your body function at peak efficiency.

Protecting the spinal cord are your back and spine. They are a complex latticework of muscles, bones, nerves, tendons and ligaments. The spine, for instance, through which the spinal cord runs, is made up of more than 30 individual bones, the vertebrae. Each bone is separated by a shock absorber of sorts, a flexible pad or cartilage called a disc.

The spinal cord runs from the base of the brain to almost the bottom of the spine. The brain, the cord, and the nerves that emanate from the cord to various parts f the body are your central nervous system.

The spine has four distinct sections: the cervical spine is, essentially, your neck; the thoracic spine is your upper back; the lumbar spine is your lower back;the sacrum and the coccyx, commonly called the tailbone, form the end of the spine. At the bottom is a bundle of nerves that looks like a horse's tail. And from that appearance comes its Latin name, cauda equina.

Your chiropractor is trained to keep this complicated network in harmony, thereby helping to insure your continued overall health.

Please contact our office if you would like further evaluation on your condition.

Dr. Donna Pontoriero can be reached at 299 Franklin Ave, Nutley NJ 07110, 973-235-9393.