The smallest functional unit of the spine

Your spine is made up of thirty-three vertebrae, and between each is a spinal motion segment which is made up of the following main components: 

• The two vertebrae
• Intervertebral disc 
• Two facet joints
• Ligaments and other soft tissues for support

The first three are known as the articulation triad and overall, their purpose is to allow for slight, stable mobility of the spine while preventing damage from excessive motion. The discs perform shock-absorption duties, absorbing compressive forces and preventing the vertebrae from directly grinding on each other. The facet joints connect the vertebrae together and allow for some, but not-too-much motion. The ligaments serve to hold the vertebrae in place and all the spinal motion segments combine to keep you upright and mobile. 

Problems with the spinal motion segments

As they involve a lot of working parts interacting with each other, spinal motion segments are quite prone to injuries, the most common of which include: 

• Herniated discs
• Facet Joint Syndrome
• Degenerative disc disease
• Pinched nerves
• General back pain

Chiropractic for improving spinal function

One of the main goals of chiropractic is to facilitate the fluid and healthy functioning of spinal motion segments. We identify problems related to compression of the nerves, as well as mobility related dysfunction between the moving parts of the spine. This includes:

• Hypermobility: too much movement, refers to instability between the vertebrae
• Hypomobility: too little movement, refers to range of motion problems

Our job is to keep the working parts of your spine in line and working fine. We have a number of techniques including manual and instrument-adjusted modalities to address any injuries that result to the spinal motion segments. If you are interested in finding out more, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.