Pilates Plus Magazine July 2017 July 2017 Monthly Magazine | Page 7

How The Spine Moves
The spine is made of 33 individual bones stacked one on top
of each other. This spinal column provides the main support
for your body, allowing you to stand upright, bend, and twist,
while protecting the spinal cord from injury. Strong muscles
and bones, flexible tendons and ligaments, and sensitive
nerves contribute to a healthy spine.
Each section of the spine has it’s own way of moving and
contributing to the overall mobility and function of the spinal
column. If you have stiffness or issues in one section, it will
affect the entire spinal column.
Then each vertebra has it’s own range of movement, except for the lower section of the spine
called the sacrum, where the vertebra are fused together.
Full and healthy articulation of the spinal column means that each vertebra has full range of
movement and contributes to the bending, flexing, side bending and rotation of the spine to it’s
fullest capacity.
In between each vertebra are what’s called intervertebral discs which act as “shock absorbers” for
the spine. Damage to these discs is one of the most common types of spine injuries and can be
debilitating, extremely painful and can stop your life in it’s tracks.
As we age, the health and function of the discs plays a vital role in
how much mobility your spine will have, your posture and overall
function of the entire body.
Intervertebral discs age, just like the rest of our body. It’s
essential to keep them hydrated and nourished and keep your
spinal column capable of optimum movement throughout your life to prevent degeneration
which can lead to constant daily pain and lose of function of the spine.