5 Little Known Facts About Your Spine

Majority of people don't know much about anatomy, besides the basics of course. Your spine goes from the base of your skill to your pelvis and supports all of your body weight while protecting your spinal cord. Naturally, as a chiropractor, I think the spine is awesome! Chiropractor or not, there are some awesome, little known facts about the spine that I wanted to share with you:

1. The curve in your spine is what makes it so strong

You know the whole "bend and not break" thing. That's the idea here. Your spine's curvature is what makes it strong enough to support and protect your body. Your spine has three natural curves giving it an S shape when viewed from the side. These curves allow the spine to withstand extreme amounts of stress by providing even weight distribution.

2. Your spine protects your nervous system

Your spine's most important job is to protect your nervous system. Your backbone surrounds the nervous system to protect it from any damage.

3. Your spine shrinks as you age

It really is true that people shrink when they get older. This is because the space between your spinal discs gets smaller as you age.

4. The name of your tailbone comes from a bird

Your tailbone, aka the coccyx, was so named due to its resemblance to the cuckoo bird.

5. You are born with more spinal bones than you have now

Humans are born with 33 spinal bones but end up with 26 as adults. When we're born the sacral and coccyx bones are separate, but fuse together as we grow.

Ok so maybe it is a little bit nerdy, but interesting nonetheless. If you want to keep your spine healthy, make sure to visit us regularly for adjustments!