Have you been living with siatica and back pain for a
long time? Do you have days when the pain won't go away and
you end up drained by it all?
Well, it doesn't have to be that way. Read on to find out
more about your back and about the Better Back System a
simple, easy system that gives you a 97% chance of stopping
your sciatica and back pain.
(P.S. Yes, the correct spelling of siatica is sciatica.)
What's In My Spine?
Your spine is a column of 26 bones that extend in a line
from the base of your skull to your pelvis. Twenty-four of
these bones are called vertebrae. These link to each other
and are cushioned by shock-absorbing disks that lie between
them.
The vertebrae are organised as follows:
- Neck - 7 cervical vertebrae
- Chest - 12 thoracic vertebrae at the back wall of your
chest;
- Lower back - 5 lumbar vertebrae at the inward curve of
your lower back;
- The sacrum - composed of 5 fused vertebrae between your
hip bones; and
- The coccyx or tailbone - composed of 3 to 5 fused bones
at the lower tip of your vertebral column
The vertebral
column provides the main support for the upper body,
allowing humans to stand upright or bend and twist, and it
protects the spinal cord from injury. Following are
structures of the spine most involved in spinal stenosis.
-
Intervertebral
disks—pads of cartilage filled with a gel-like
substance which lie between vertebrae and act as shock
absorbers.
-
Facet
joints—joints located on the back of the main part
of the vertebra. They are formed by a portion of one
vertebra and the vertebra above it. They connect the
vertebrae to each other and permit back motion.
-
Intervertebral
foramen (also called neural foramen)—an opening
between vertebrae through which nerves leave the spine
and extend to other parts of the body.
-
Lamina—part
of the vertebra at the back portion of the vertebral
arch that forms the roof of the canal through which the
spinal cord and nerve roots pass.
-
Ligaments—elastic
bands of tissue that support the spine by preventing the
vertebrae from slipping out of line as the spine moves.
A large ligament often involved in spinal stenosis is
the ligamentum flavum, which runs as a continuous band
from lamina to lamina in the spine.
-
Pedicles—narrow
stem-like structures on the vertebrae that form the
walls of the front part of the vertebral arch.
-
Spinal
cord/nerve roots—a major part of the central
nervous system that extends from the base of the brain
down to the lower back and that is encased by the
vertebral column. It consists of nerve cells and bundles
of nerves. The cord connects the brain to all parts of
the body via 31 pairs of nerves that branch out from the
cord and leave the spine between vertebrae.
-
Synovium—a
thin membrane that produces fluid to lubricate the facet
joints, allowing them to move easily.
-
Vertebral
arch—a circle of bone around the canal through
which the spinal cord passes. It is composed of a floor
at the back of the vertebra, walls (the pedicles), and a
ceiling where two laminae join.
-
Cauda
equina—a sack of nerve roots that continues from
the lumbar region, where the spinal cord ends, and
continues down to provide neurologic function to the
lower part of the body. It resembles a "horse's
tail"
What
is Spinal Stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing
of spaces in the spine (backbone) that results in pressure
on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. This disorder usually
involves the narrowing of one or more of three areas of the
spine:
- The canal in the center
of the column of bones (vertebral or spinal column) through
which the spinal cord and nerve roots run,
- The canals at the base
or roots of nerves branching out from the spinal cord,
or
- The openings between
vertebrae (bones of the spine) through which nerves leave
the spine and go to other parts of the body. The narrowing
may involve a small or large area of the spine.
Pressure on the lower part
of the spinal cord or on nerve roots branching out from that
area may give rise to pain or numbness in the legs. Pressure
on the upper part of the spinal cord (that is, the neck
area) may produce similar symptoms in the shoulders, or even
the legs.
Tips For Better Back
Health
- Stand upright and pay
attention to posture – don't slouch
- Sit back in your chair
– don't hunch over your keyboard
- Wear low-heeled and
well-fitting shoes
- Manage your weight –
Extra weight, especially around your waist, strains your
back
- Do back exercises! Talk
to your doctor about what types would be right for you
- Do stomach-strengthening
exercises! – Strong stomach muscles help support your
back
- Push rather than pull
heavy objects
- Change your position
frequently
- Use your leg muscles to
lift heavy objects. Don't bend over and strain your back
How
To Get Rid of Your Sciatica Quickly
You
don't have to go through years of trying one thing after
another and wondering if you'll ever find anything that gets
rid of your pain and stiffness.
Ask
yourself: How would I feel if I could stop my sciatica and
back pain?
Even better, what if I could learn how to do it with a
few simple exercises that only take me about 5 minutes a day
and have a 97% chance of success?
Try the Better
Back System risk
free because its very likely that it can help you
to do this.
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