Spine

General Information

There are seven spine bones in the neck (“cervical vertebrae”). These bones form a bony cage around the spinal cord. Soft disks separate all the spine bones and provide cushioning. Each bone has a nerve root located through an opening and joins with other nerve roots that travel down the neck, shoulders, and arms.

If one of these nerve roots is put under pressure by a ruptured disk, or by bones breaking down over time, it damages the nerve functioning in your arms and legs. This damage to your nerve functioning is called “radiculopathy.” Damage to these nerve roots in the neck can cause pain and loss of sensation your arms, neck, and/or head, depending on where the damaged roots are located.

The triangular bone at the base of the spine that joins to a hip bone on either side is called the “sacrum.”  This bone forms part of the pelvis.

The bottom section of your spine is called the “tailbone” or the “coccyx.” It is a small triangular bone which connects to the bottom of the sacrum.  Five vertebrae are joined together to form the sacrum.  This part of the spine supports and connects the upper spine to the pelvis. Your tailbone is formed from four fused vertebrae and has little function.

The hollow parts of the spine bones are called “vertebral foramina.”  This is where the spinal nerves are located.  These nerves send and receive signals from all over the body.