Lumbar Vertebrae: The Lower Body Control System
By Chris Brown
Lower back pain is common as people enter middle age. Whether incorrect lifting techniques or poor posture is to blame, back pain is often the result of subluxations in the lumbar spine. However, the subluxations causing your lower back pain may be affecting you more than you know. Like the cervical vertebrae near the neck, the lower lumbar spinal segment bookends the spinal column. As a result, the lumbar spine affects a wide area of the body and keeping it strong, through chiropractic treatments, is essential to overall health.
The Lower Back's Lumbar Vertebrae
The five lumbar vertebrae, L1-L5, run along the lower back, from the end of the thoracic vertebrae to the sacrum at the backbone's base. As the lumbar are the lowest vertebrae, they house nerves which extend throughout the lower body, from the abdomen to the feet. This includes nerves connecting to the lower intestines, genitals, bladder, legs, feet, and toes. The joints of the lumbar vertebrae are built to carry loads from the upper body, however, they commonly become injured when too much weight is placed upon the spine from an awkward angle. Keeping the lumbar vertebrae healthy is crucial for maintaining posture and mobility in life.
Problems Resulting from Lumbar Dysfunction
Because of the wide reach of its nerves, lumbar vertebral disfunctions can result in pain and functional problems throughout the lower body. In worst case scenarios, severing the spinal cord at the lumbar results in paralyzation from the waist down. Less severe spinal injuries commonly cause pain in the lower back and through the legs (sciatica). Lumbar neural restrictions can also lead to intestinal or bladder problems as brain-body communication is highly important to the functionality of those systems. Keeping the lumbar spine aligned requires regular check-ups with a chiropractic doctor.
Chiropractic Adjustments Fix Lower Body Problems
Spinal manipulation of the lumbar vertebrae results in wide-reaching impacts throughout the lower body's systems. Not only can correcting lumbar dysfunction relieve lower back and leg pain, but it can also fix the system functions which lie below the mid-abdomen. Correcting dysfunctions and optimizing the lumbar spine may help problems related to digestion, bladder and bowel issues, genital or contraceptive problems, knee and ankle sprains, and muscle weakness in the legs. With such a wide proportion of the body connected to the lower spine, maintaining lumbar health with regular chiropractic manipulation is key for lower body wellness.
The Joint Chiropractic offers affordable, insurance-free spinal adjustments. The Joint does not take reservations, so patients are encouraged to walk-in anytime for care with usually little to no wait time. And, with more than 600 clinics nationwide, The Joint is always nearby to keep your spine in check, no matter where you are.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Cleveland, Tenn.