At Granger Chiropractic, although we have an interest in your whole body, our bread and butter is working with the spine. It truly is an amazing part of our body. Not only does it allow us to stand tall and walk on two legs but it also houses and protects our spinal cord, our body’s own network system through which all of our bodily functions are controlled by our brain and nervous system.
Here are some other interesting facts about the spine:
1. The human spine is made up of 33 bones – 7 vertebrae in the cervical region, 12 in the thoracic region, 5 in the lumbar region, 5 in the sacral region and 4 in the coccygeal region.(1,2)
2. Of these 33 bones there are over 120 muscular attachments, over 200 ligaments and more than 100 individual joints!!
3. The intervertebral discs between our vertebrae (spinal bones) account for a quarter of our spine’s height. These discs are also extremely important in provision of movement and shock absorption for our spine and can vary in their thickness over the period of the day from being more fluid filled in the morning to slightly compressed due to the natural effect of gravity during the day. Which means you can actually be taller in the morning!(3)
4. Your spinal cord has over 13.5 million neurons in its structure, that impressive for a structure that is approximately 700mm long and weighs on average 35 grams.(4)
5. And finally for a fun fact: Giraffes have the same number of vertebra in their neck (cervical spine) as us humans!
References:
1.2″Back Pain Facts and Statistics.” American Chiropractic Association. Accessed: February 29, 2020.
2. https://www.coloradospineinstitute.com/education/anatomy/spine-overview/
3. http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2015/01/20/4164317.htm
4. Been, Ella, et al. Spinal Evolution. Seattle, WA: Spring, 2019. 5.
