The vertebral column, also called the spinal column or backbone, is a series of bony vertebrae interconnected by cartilaginous intervertebral discs. It extends from the inferior aspect of the occipital bone of the skull to the tip of the coccyx, and encloses the spinal cord and spinal canal. The spinal cord transmits signals between the brain and the rest of your body.
Spinal column symptoms include pain and stiffness in your back or neck, and weakness in your legs or arms. These symptoms are often a sign of osteoarthritis, which causes changes in the spine.
Osteoarthritis can lead to degeneration, stiffness and loss of mobility in the lower part of your body (the lumbar area). These changes are most likely to cause pain and stiffness when you walk or stand.
Vertebral tumors are most common in the thoracic and lumbar spine, but they can also occur in other parts of your spine, such as the cervical spine. Symptoms of cancerous or noncancerous vertebral tumors may include muscle weakness, headache, and a change in how well you move your arms or legs.
Tenderness or numbness in the legs and feet is another common symptom of vertebral tumors. This is because the spinal nerves that control your legs and feet run through your spinal cord.
A spinal nerve can become compressed by a herniated disc or tumor, or by an infection. When a herniated disc presses against a spinal nerve, it can cause symptoms such as pain and stiffness in the neck or lower back.
Inflammation and swelling of the vertebral bones can also cause painful symptoms. This inflammation and swelling may be caused by a buildup of fluid, scar tissue, or arthritis, which is the wearing away of the spine’s protective collagen.
Nerves that exit the spinal cord are called nerve roots. The spinal cord runs through the vertebral canal, and is protected from injury by ligaments in the spinal column.
The curved structure of the vertebral column is adapted for many different movements, including flexion and extension. In quadrupeds the vertebral column is a single arc, but it curves in four different ways in humans: an anterior cervical curve that develops soon after birth as the head is raised; a sacral curve that occurs as you sit and walk; and an anterior lumbar curve that develops as you stand or walk.
Adaptations for movement include the zygapophyseal joints of each vertebra, the two superior articular processes and two inferior articular facets on each vertebra. The orientation of these facets determines whether the vertebral column can flex or extend. The ligamentum flavum attaches between the laminae of each vertebra.
Inflammation and swelling can occur at any point along the spinal canal, but it is most common in the thoracic and cervical regions of the spine. These symptoms are usually severe enough to interfere with your daily life, such as eating, sleeping or urinating.
Vertebral stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that can squeeze the spinal cord or nerve root. This condition usually occurs as people age, but it can also happen because of other diseases or injuries.
