Education
Your Spine
Understanding your spine is the first step toward protecting it. Learn how it's built, how it works, and what happens when something goes wrong.
Structure
The Architecture of Your Spine
Your spine is a remarkable column of 33 vertebrae that runs from the base of your skull to your tailbone. It performs two seemingly contradictory jobs simultaneously: it provides rigid structural support for your entire body while also allowing a wide range of fluid movement.
Between each vertebra sits a spinal disc — a tough, fibrous ring filled with a gel-like center. These discs act as shock absorbers, cushioning the vertebrae during movement and distributing the forces of daily life. Running through the center of the vertebral column is the spinal canal, which houses and protects the spinal cord.
The 7 vertebrae of the neck. This region supports the weight of your head and allows the greatest range of motion — nodding, rotating, and tilting.
12 vertebrae in the mid-back, each attached to a pair of ribs. This region is more stable and less mobile, protecting the heart and lungs.
5 large vertebrae in the lower back. This region bears the most weight and is the most common site of pain and injury.
The sacrum connects the spine to the pelvis. The coccyx is commonly called the tailbone — both are fused and largely immobile.
Neurology
The Spine & Your Nervous System
The spinal cord is the main communication highway between your brain and the rest of your body. Branching off from it are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, each exiting through small openings between adjacent vertebrae called intervertebral foramina.
These nerves carry motor signals that tell your muscles to move and sensory signals that report pain, temperature, and touch back to the brain. When a vertebra shifts out of alignment — even slightly — it can narrow the foramen and compress the nerve, disrupting these signals and producing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness anywhere along that nerve's path.
Misalignment
What Is a Subluxation?
A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of one or more vertebrae that interferes with normal nerve function. Chiropractors are trained to detect and correct subluxations before they cause lasting damage.
Physical Stress
Poor posture, repetitive movements, heavy lifting, sports injuries, and auto accidents can all shift vertebrae out of their optimal position.
Chemical Stress
Inflammation from poor diet, dehydration, or toxin exposure can affect the muscles and ligaments that hold the spine in alignment.
Emotional Stress
Chronic stress causes muscle tension — particularly in the neck and shoulders — which can pull vertebrae out of alignment over time.
Common effects
Prevention
Protecting Your Spine Every Day
Sit with intention
Keep your feet flat on the floor, knees at 90°, and your lower back supported. Avoid crossing your legs for extended periods.
Lift with your legs
Bend at the hips and knees — not the waist — when picking up anything heavy. Hold the load close to your body.
Sleep smart
Side or back sleeping with a supportive pillow keeps the cervical spine neutral. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, which forces the neck into rotation.
Move regularly
Prolonged static postures — sitting or standing — compress the discs. Take a short walk or stretch break every 45–60 minutes.
Strengthen your core
The deep muscles of the abdomen and back are the spine's natural support system. Regular core exercise reduces the load on your vertebrae.
Get checked regularly
Many subluxations cause no pain in their early stages. Routine chiropractic check-ups catch misalignments before they become problems.
Take Care of Your Spine
A healthy spine is the foundation of a healthy life. Schedule a spinal evaluation at Healing Hands and take the first step toward lasting relief and better function.