Milwaukee Physical Therapy Spine Specialists

Anatomy of the Spine

Your spine is made up of a column of 24 vertebrae, stacked one on top of the other. In between each of these vertebrae there is an inter-vertebral disc. These discs act to absorb shock and give your spine the ability to move in many directions. This column of bones helps support the weight of the body. A space for the spinal cord exists within your spine. In between each of the vertebrae the spinal cord gives off one branch or nerve root to each side through an opening called the inter-vertebral foramen. In the lower back, or lumbar spine, these branches form the sciatic nerves, which travel through the buttocks and down each leg. These nerves control muscles of the leg and foot.

Each of the vertebrae also have joints, called facet joints, that guide each vertebrae's motion with the vertebrae above and below it. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that run from bone to bone. These ligaments also help to guide and check the motion of the spine. Muscles move one bone on another, keep you in a good posture, and work together in groups to move your entire body. The system of nerves in your body provides feedback about pressure, stretch, pain, heat, and cold to your brain so that automatic adjustments can be made to help your body function.

Any of the structures mentioned above can give rise to pain. For that reason, many times it is impossible to identify the exact source of your symptoms. In your evaluation, your PROCare Physical Therapist will ask questions and perform tests to better isolate the cause of your low back pain. It is important to remember that most low back problems do not result from an isolated injury or event. Most of the time, they are the result of stress on these structures over time. The items that place stress on your low back can be termed "risk factors". Just as the cardiovascular risk factors such as cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, can over time damage your coronary arteries, the low back risk factors, over time can lead to damage to the tissues of the low back. This damage often presents itself as back pain symptoms.