The human spine holds the trunk and is divided into the cervical spine, thoracic spine and lumbar spine. Each part is subjected to different stresses in everyday life.
What is the lumbar spine?
Schematic anatomical representation of the spine and its structure. The lower region of the trunk is called the lumbar or lumbar region, so the part of the spine that holds and supports this area of the trunk is called the lumbar spine. Because of the Latin term, expressions of lumbar region or lumbar area are also common. Here, the same section of the body is meant. The word loin is also initially already derived from the proximity to the kidneys (kidney area).
Anatomy and structure
The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae. Between each of these vertebrae is an intervertebral disc. The disc is a flexible building block between the vertebrae and is designed to provide protection from massive impacts. It is filled with fluid and during stress, some of this fluid is lost, so it can actually cause a person to shrink throughout the day and it is only at night that this fluid loss can be replenished. The lumbar vertebrae are located in the lower part of the spine, followed only by the sacrum and finally the coccyx. As a result, the lumbar spine also forms the cornerstone of the torso and is therefore on the one hand essential for walking upright, but is also exposed to the highest loads as a result. Above the lumbar spine is the part of the thoracic spine.
Functions and tasks
On the one hand, the lumbar spine with the intervertebral discs supports the trunk and ensures that a person can walk upright, and on the other hand, it is responsible for the execution of a wide variety of movements. Only due to the flexible shape of the spine with individual vertebral bodies is it possible for the human body to be able to perform curvature, i.e. bending, twisting and similar things, as well as to ensure that each part of the trunk returns to its original position. The lumbar spine is surrounded by the lumbar muscles, which support the spine in its entire function and therefore perform an important cooperative function. In addition, the vertebrae, intervertebral discs and musculature protect the spinal canal and the nerve tracts which run centrally through the entire spine. The intervertebral discs provide a “buffer” or shock absorber.
Diseases and ailments
Complaints arise mainly in the area of the intervertebral discs and by a so-called lumbar spine syndrome. It often comes to low back pain, often associated with the popularly known lumbago, in which abruptly and very violently occur such severe pain that the affected person is partially no longer able to perform even a single movement. This generic term refers to a number of conditions that cause pain in the lumbar spine or can even radiate much further via the nerve tracts. A very common and well-known phenomenon in this regard is irritation of the sciatic nerve, which bifurcates further into the legs. The irritation – caused by rubbing or pinching – often leads to severe pain, which can then radiate to the feet, usually on one side. Herniated discs also cause severe pain, often with symptoms of failure or paralysis, which would require immediate surgical action. However, in some cases the discs in the lumbar region can be replaced by a so-called disc prosthesis. However, this is not a complete cure and does not guarantee freedom from symptoms as a result. It is merely the best way to ensure that heavy loads within the lumbar region can be resumed and that a lumbar spine syndrome with permanent, chronic pain does not persist. In very many cases it is observed that, for example, in the case of violent falls on the lower back, it is usually not the disc itself that is damaged, but primarily the vertebra itself. Rarely, there are other diseases of the spine that affect the lumbar spine, this can be, for example, a malignant disease or stiffening of the entire spine, caused by the autoimmune disease ankylosing spondylitis.
Typical and common spinal disorders
- Spinal curvature
- Spinal injury (spinal trauma)
- Vertebral body fracture (vertebral body fracture)
- Vertebral joint arthritis
