Back or spine is one of the most important parts of your body. It protects the spinal cord, provides structural balance to the head, shoulders and chest, and helps balance and distribute the weight of your body. Your back also helps you bend, stretch and even rotate so swiftly and smoothly that it makes one wonder what life would be like without this flexibility.

But, this convenience comes with its share of baggage. Problems of the back are all too common, sometimes resulting from your lifestyle habits, sometimes caused by illnesses and injuries, and at other times due to other reasons. Treatment options for back pain range from conventional methods to surgical means. Read more about treatment options at Healthbase.

Anatomy of the spine

Your back and neck contain the spinal column or vertebral column which is made up of 33 individual bones called vertebrae and runs down from your skull to your pelvis. Between the vertebrae are circular pads of cartilage (connective tissue) called discs that are responsible for cushioning the vertebrae when you jump or run.

The spinal column can be divided into four regions (from top to bottom):

The 7 vertebrae at the top constitute the neck region or cervical spine

The next 12 vertebrae make the upper back or the thoracic region

The next 5 vertebrae are the lower back or lumbar vertebrae

The last group of bones at the base of the spine are fused together into what is known as the sacrum and coccyx

The lumbar region (low back) is where most of the pain is felt as it supports the weight of the upper body.

Types of back pain

When you have a backache, the pain may originate from the muscles, nerves, bones, vertebral joints, discs or other structures in the spine or the spinal column.