a. Let's get to know our spine

Let's get to know our spine.

Our spine is composed of 33 bones called vertebrae, extending from the base of the skull to the coccyx. It develops into a cylinder shape to support the head and the body. Muscles, ligaments, and other tissues envelop it. Each vertebra has a hole in it. These holes combine to form a cylinder through which the spinal cord passes. Between each vertebra are discs, which are soft cushions that prevent friction and allow mobility. Conditions like lumbar disc herniation or cervical disc herniation occur due to slips or tears in these cushions.

Appearance of the Spine

There are 7 vertebrae in the cervical region, which maintain the balance between the thorax and the head. There are 12 vertebrae in the thoracic region, maintaining the balance between the waist and the head. Ribs and muscles attach to these vertebrae to form the rib cage. There are 5 vertebrae in the lumbar region, which are the strongest and stiffest vertebrae. Muscles and ligaments of the lumbar region attach to these vertebrae. Below the lumbar vertebrae are the sacrum and the coccyx. Lower back pain is often related to the straining of a ligament or muscle that normally holds a vertebra in position. When these muscles and ligaments weaken, the integrity of the spine is compromised, resulting in pain. Since nerves spread out to the entire body from the spinal cord, lumbar problems can cause pain and weakness nearly anywhere in the body. Neck, back, and lower back pain occur due to the involvement of the muscles, joints, discs, and nerves emanating from the spinal cord in these regions.

 

 

Painful Areas in the Spine

Many treatment methods can be applied for pain originating from the spine. These methods include pharmacological treatment, physical therapy and rehabilitation, interventional procedures, and surgeries performed by neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery. Each of these methods should be determined according to the patient and applied in a certain order. Interventional procedures aimed at the spine in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions are applied for neck, back, and lower back pain that do not require emergency surgery and cannot be healed with other conventional methods. The history of interventional procedures dates back approximately 30 years, and the reliability of all applied interventional procedures has been proven.