What Does a Healthy Spine Look Like?

Your spine is more than just a stack of bones; it is the central pillar of your body, designed to support, protect, and move. But what does a healthy spine actually look like?

🌀 The Anatomy of the Spine

Before the sacrum and coccyx fused into solid structures, the spine consisted of 33 vertebrae. It now has 26 moveable component parts, 24 vertebrae with an additional 5 vertebrae fused to make the sacral region and 4 fused to make the coccyx region. These vertebrae vary slightly in shape and size depending on their location, but from C2 to L5, they share common features:

• Body: A solid bony block at the front;
• Vertebral foramen: A canal for the spinal cord;
• Pedicles: Two thick processes projecting backward;
• Transverse processes: Extend out to the sides;
• Spinous process: Sticks out the back;
• Articular processes: Connect each vertebra to its neighbours.

Despite their strength, vertebrae alone cannot hold up much weight, approximately 2.2 KG, without the help of ligaments, tendons, and connective tissues.

🌀 The Four Natural Curves

When viewed from the side, a healthy spine has four gentle curves:

 

These curves are functional. They help to:

• Maintain balance while standing;
• absorb shock;
• prevent fractures;
• and distribute weight evenly.

When these curves are in harmony, your ears, shoulders, and hips align vertically. This posture is called neutral spine; the gold standard for lifting, sitting, standing, and moving.

🌀 Alignment and Movement

Spinal alignment affects more than posture, it influences how your ligaments behave:

• Flexion (bending forward) compresses the front of vertebrae and stretches posterior ligaments.
• Extension (bending backward) does the opposite.

Poor alignment increases stress on spinal tissues and can lead to pain and postural issues.

🚨 The Most Common Cause of Back Pain

Surprisingly, most back pain isn’t caused by trauma, it is the result of sustained poor posture. Imbalances in muscle strength or flexibility can distort spinal curves, leading to discomfort and injury.

That is why maintaining a neutral spine is essential. Whether you're lifting a box or lounging on the sofa, proper alignment protects your spine and keeps you pain-free.

To help build the strength of muscle groups around the spine, more intense exercise and therefore better spine positioning can be assisted with the use of core lumbar belts and sacro-iliac belts strapped to the body. External posture aids such as lumbar rolls, chair back supports and seat wedges that help tilt the spine from the sacrum are all trusted orthopaedic devices.

SUPPORT4PHYSIO Product Clinic:

All Day Everyday Lower Back Pain Relief: VertiBaX Core Lumbar Healthcare Sensory Belt VB119

Seat Back Supports: Harley Lumbar Rolls

Wedges/cushions to alter sitting angle and adapt spinal curvature: Harley Seat Wedges

Disclaimer: Please note that all spinal disorders are different. If you have any concerns about using any of the products discussed, a medical practitioner who knows your specific condition should be consulted. 

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