Are you ready to become the ultimate spine expert?
In the third and last installment of our series of posts “Know the soul of your spine”, the Momentum Quiropràctic team explains in detail about the lumbar, sacral and coccyx. In addition, we also show you the symptoms you may experience if the vertebrae in these regions of the spine are subluxated.
As always, take the next few minutes of reading time for yourself and enjoy learning more about your spine, the lifeline. Let’s get to it!
The Lumbar Region of the Spine
Let’s start with the region after the dorsal area; which we looked at in part two (if you missed it, click here to read it).
The lumbar region (located in the lower back) is characterised by having the five largest vertebrae, as they are responsible for supporting the weight of our body. These vertebrae, in addition to supporting weight and protecting the spinal cord, are responsible for much of the mobility as they are linked to muscles and ligaments that allow actions such as walking, running, sitting, among other movements.
The 5 lumbar vertebrae are as follows:
- L1. The first lumbar vertebra contains part of the spinal cord. In addition, it can affect the mobility of the hip, as well as bowel problems, bladder problems and/or numbness in the legs.
- L2. In addition to also containing part of the spinal cord, it has similar effects to the first lumbar vertebra.
- L3, L4, L5. From these lumbar vertebrae onwards, the spinal cord is no longer present. Even so, the symptoms related to these vertebrae are also mainly related to lower mobility and numbness of the lower extremities.
The Sacral Region and Coccyx
We have already told you that the spinal column is made up of 33 vertebrae in newborns and 24 vertebrae in adults because throughout our development, the sacral and coccyx vertebrae fuse to form the sacrum and coccyx, respectively.
Even so, the sacral and coccyx bones still make up the spine and play a vital role in movement and as a link for muscles and ligaments.
Here we tell you more about the symptoms that can be caused by an injury to the sacral or coccyx region of our spine.
Symptoms of problems and pain in the lumbar, sacral or coccyx area
If one or more of the lumbar vertebrae (i.e. displaced vertebrae that affect the functioning of the nervous system) or the sacral or coccyx region are damaged, we may find symptoms of health problems related to:
- Pain, weakness numbness of the lower limbs.
- Lower back pain
- Sciatica
- Digestive problems (irritable bowel, constipation, diarrhoea)
- Menstrual problems
- Bladder problems and bladder dysfunction
- Sexual dysfunction
Now that you know the soul of your spine, let’s take care of it together.
In the first part, we asked you if you would be able to write on a blank sheet of paper what the spine and its functions are. Now, we are convinced that you are not only capable of that, but also of knowing how important it is to take care of your spine to correct possible subluxations.
In each installment we have reviewed the relationship of each vertebra with the different parts of our body and organs, as well as the symptoms and health problems related to each region of the spine (cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral or coccyx).
Therefore, we are sure that you have also understood the importance of taking care of your spine with chiropractic care and, above all, acting in a preventive way to optimise your nervous system and enjoy a better quality of life, among many other benefits of chiropractic.
Our approach at Momentum Quiropràctic is that you understand how your body and chiropractic care work so that you can enjoy your life with optimal wellbeing.
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If you want to know more about us, we invite you to visit our website, where you will learn about the Momentum team, our values and how we can help you.
And if you book an appointment… we are waiting for you with open arms at our centre in Barcelona.
