- We are born with 33 bones in our vertebrae. As adults, we are left with only 26 of them; 4 of the bones fuse to form the tailbone and 5 fuse to become the back of the pelvis.
- The spine contains more than 120 muscles, 220 ligaments, and 100 joints.
- Spinal problems are the leading cause for disability among the working class.
- One quarter of the spine’s length is made up from cartilage.
- Cartilage discs expand in the absence of gravity. Hence astronauts returning from space may be 1 to 1.5 inches taller than when they left!
- Four out of every five adults in the world experience backache at least once in their life. Back is the second most common place for pain, the first being the head.
- The spine is so flexible that it can form almost two thirds of a circle.
- The spine is extremely strong. It can bear as much as 100 kg of weight.
- The human neck is similar to a giraffe’s neck. Both contain 7 vertebrae.
- The lower back is the most flexible part of the spine and as such is most prone to aches and pains.
The spine is a complex structure that is extremely intriguing. While we are fascinated by it, the complexity is also a reason for several problems arising in the spine!
