Getting off your nerves

Thanks to gravity and the aging process, a certain amount of spinal compression is natural as you get older. But for some people, the narrowing of the spinal canal can lead to pain and other symptoms. With more and more people suffering from back pain, it’s important to be aware of your spine and understand how to keep it healthy.

A healthy spine

The human spine should curve in an S-shape—an important design for our bipedal (two-legged) upright sitting or standing stance. It allows the weight distribution to shift as we move and holds our head and organs vertically up from the ground.

Our spines consist of 24 individual sections of bone (vertebrae) separated by facet joints, which contain rubbery discs of cartilage to keep the whole spinal column freely mobile (see the illustration on page 41, top image). This also creates space for the spinal canal, a cavity running through each of the vertebrae, which encloses the spinal cord, spinal nerves, ligaments, fat and blood vessels.

Spinal nerves exit the spinal canal through nerve root canals (intervertebral foramen) to branch out into your whole body. These canals are surrounded by bone and ligaments, and changes