Spine

The spine provides the body’s most important support and protects the sensitive spinal cord. The back is both stable and flexible, as it consists of 24 vertebrae, which are stacked on top of each other. It is S-shaped; the spine curves forward in the cervical vertebrae and thoracic vertebrae (neck and upper back), and arcs backwards in the lumbar vertebrae (lower back). This is the body’s normal shape, and in this posture we are strongest. The S-shape means that pressure is shared equally between each vertebra. In this situation, the body can cope with it’s maximum load. However, if the working posture is wrong or uneven, an uneven pressure is put on ligaments and muscles leaving us tired and often in pain.