Back Pain Explained

Back Pain explains what back pain is and how it can be treated and prevented.

Basic Anatomy:

• Back Pain Home
• Anatomy for Beginners
• Types of Pain
• Finding Acute Relief
• Intervertebral Disc
• The Spinal Ligaments
• The Sacrum
• The Vertebra

Causes of Back Pain:

• Backache
• Prolapsed Disc
• Sciatica
• Spinal Stenosis
• Scoliosis
• Spondylosis
• Spondylolisis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Sacroiliac Joint
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Piriformis Syndrome
• Coccydynia

Back Pain Exercises:

• Benefits of Exercise
• Simple Exercises
• Core Stability
• Swiss Ball

Proper Posture:

• How Good is Yours?
• Posture in Depth
• Sitting Posture
• Standing Posture

Types of Therapy:

• Complementary Therapy
• Massage
• Reflexology
• Acupuncture

Surgery For Back Pain:

• Introduction
• Laminectomy
• Lumbar Discectomy
• Nerve Root Block

The Sacrum is the Foundation for the Spine

The sacrum is an inverted, triangular-shaped bone at the very bottom of the spine. In fact it forms the base and foundation for everything above.

It actually consists of 5 individual vertebrae that have fused together to form one large mass! It is an important structure and also works as an attachment base for many muscles and ligaments. Take a look at the illustration below to get a sense of the shape.

Any asymmetry here can have a knock on effect higher up in the chain, i.e. the lumbar spine!

Right at the base of the bone is attached the coccyx. This also consists of some fused vertebra. The coccyx doesn't really have much of a function in modern humans and is more of a remnant from our primate days!