<span style="font-weight: 400;">From what I have read most of the world leaders in biomechanics feel that the spine is the centerpiece of movement &amp; it's easy to understand why. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is a beautifully robust piece of architecture that connects the upper &amp; lower body, allowing us to move in so many planes, actions &amp; combinations. So much so that we might appreciate it as hard to damage!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As we dive into the anatomy of the spine here hopefully it is recognisable that it takes years to really do any damage biomechanically through lifestyle.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The exciting thing about this means we could, as movement practitioners, potentially reduce the risk of future problems. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So through this 3rd blog in this practical anatomy series lets explore the wonderful intricacies of the bones of the spine!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">But first…..</span>

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<h2><b>Interesting facts </b></h2>
&nbsp;
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Babies spines develop 2 months after conception </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From birth, the baby's spine is only kyphotic. From the time they begin to hold their head up &amp; start walking they will begin to develop lordosis </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We have the same number of cervical (nack) vertebrae as giraffes! </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are 120 muscles that relate to the spine offering lots of movements. Thankfully we won't be covering every single one of these in part 4!</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The spine has 220 individual ligaments for dynamic support - it needs it right!?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wow...there are 100 joints! </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spine cartilage can expand &amp; contract. This means you are (on average) ½” taller in the mornings due to lying down as opposed to having gravity compressing your spine downwards while standing upright throughout the day.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your spine has exceptional memory as it becomes used to, &amp; remembers, positions.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At birth we generally have 33 bones but as adults we can have just 25 as the lower vertebrae fuse together.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The spinal cord weighs 35 grammes! That’s a similar weight as a 60 watt lightbulb.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The length of an average male spine is 70cm &amp; female’s around 60cm </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cartilage makes up 25% of the length of the spine </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We shrink on average about ⅓ inch every 10 years - I know this because my mum is now 5ft 4” having previously been 5ft 8”...oooer!</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Around 80% of back pain does NOT need treatment, which is why we need to gain skills to understand pain &amp; things that can cause it.</span></li>
</ol>
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<h1><b>The Bones</b></h1>
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<h2><b>Vertebrae</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Let us begin at the top this time with the vertebrae! Vertebrae being plural of vertebra (individual) &amp; the word vertebra in latin means ‘joint’. It also has history from the word </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">vertere</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which means ‘to turn’, which is easy to imagine due to turning or rotating being one of the primary actions produced from the spine.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The vertebrae make up 5 sections that create those curved lines on a side view of a client’s back as we look at them standing.</span>

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<h2><b>Cervical Spine (Vertebrae)</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Cervical is the first or upper most portion of the spine &amp; is made up of 7 vertebrae. Its name ‘</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">cervical</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">’ comes from the latin word for ‘neck’. You may also be familiar with its use in relation to the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">cervix</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or ‘neck’ of the womb.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We have 7 cervical vertebrae &amp; this is the most mobile portion of our spines to allow us to pivot our heads on top of our body so we can see around us - hopefully!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Our top 2 cervical vertebrae have their own names too!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><b>Atlas</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, also known as C1, is named from Greek mythology. Atlas was the son of the God Titus &amp; was condemned to hold the sky up - poor bloke! So we can visualise our C1 holding up our head as poor Atlas did the world! </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Glad he did though otherwise who knows where we would be right now!?!?</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Then we have </span><b>Axis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (from the latin word </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">axle</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">) also known as </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">vertebra cervicalis II</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">epistropheus</span></i> <span style="font-weight: 400;">OR </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in my world for simplicity's sake C2! Axle probably because it forms a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">pivot!</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">These top 2 vertebrae form the</span> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">atlanto-</span></i><b><i>axial</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> joint</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> - whoop whoop!</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now here's a tip to finding C7 if it ever takes your fancy. Sit or stand upright, place your hand onto the back of your neck &amp; then protract, or jut, your chin forwards. The most prominent spinous process (nobly bit that pokes out at the back) when you do this is likely to be C7. </span>

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<h2><b>Thoracic Spine</b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This section of your spine has minimal movement by comparison to the other sections, although more than most of us can actually do these days!!!! but it’s 7 vertebrae are designed for stability &amp; protection of your organs in partnership with the ribs (see rib anatomy below) </span>

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-24895" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.37.56.png" alt="" width="543" height="405" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As you look from over the top, as in this example, of a thoracic vertebrae, you can see all sorts of portions that have been named. Now some may appear to be more valuable than others but they’re all good to remember if you can. So I will add a test at the bottom of this blog for you to complete because I know you LOVE a test...right!?!?</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Anyway here are the names, their definitions &amp; reasons for being;</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Body </b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The large </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">front portion of the vertebra also known as the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">centrum</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The body is made of cancellous bone (also called either trabecular or spongy because of its appearance) &amp; ‘sandwiches’ the discs in between the vertebrae above/below to contribute to absorption of pressure. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Then there is a more compact outer layer of bone (also called the ‘cortical rim’ or dense) due to its contribution to supporting &amp; limiting movement.</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Spinous process</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the bony part that pokes out of the back (posteriorly) &amp; can be felt if you run your finger down someone's spine, maybe in the heat of the moment!?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is also a muscle attachment site to pull &amp; lever actions like spinal extension, rotation or to stabilise of course!</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Transverse process</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">These poke out to the sides &amp; aren't so easy to feel on yourself! Transverse comes from the latin word, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">transvertere</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> - which means ‘across’ &amp; ‘turn’. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">These also act as a muscle attachment site to pull &amp; lever actions like lateral flexion, rotation or stabilisation as above.</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Foramen</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">This word literally means ‘opening or hole’ inside the body. This is an important gap because it's where the spinal cord sits!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now this ‘hole’ is made up of 4 ‘sides’ that have names too…..</span>

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<h2><b>Lamina</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Means</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ‘plate’ or ‘layer’ &amp; this makes up some of the walls that form the vertebral foramen.</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Pedicle </b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Meaning ‘little foot’ but is a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">cylinder-shape that sticks out from the back of the vertebral body, providing side protection &amp; sides of the foramen encasing the spinal cord &amp; nerves. </span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Facet joint</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Facet means smooth flat surface. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a key joint in the spine because of its role &amp; risk. Being a joint it’s simply where 2 bones meet. The superior articular facet of the vertebra below the inferior articular facet of the vertebra above. Where these 2 surfaces meet creates a facet joint. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The key role of this joint is to limit movement due to its influence on the distance between each vertebrae where the discs are. These discs require space to squish, absorb &amp; cushion movement when we bend in any direction. If these facet joints get too close to each other there is a risk of wear. Now if their job is to limit movement to protect discs &amp; the spinal cord, well wearing of them is bad news as you can imagine!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How might why wear? Well if that QL muscle (see next blog for spine muscles) gets tight or inhibited it can result in reducing the space between the facet joint = wear</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Or</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If the pelvis is ‘dysfunctional’, shall we say, this can result in one ilium sitting higher than the other, also causing a closing of the gap at the facet joint.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So What? </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The brilliantly simple iMoveFreely programme is designed specifically to reduce the risk of these issues through freedom of movement in each part of the body. They are such specific, low grade techniques that they can dramatically influence specific areas of your client’s anatomy, like taking pressure off these facet joints.</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Thoracic Spine Ranges of Motion </b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">When we look at these ‘norms’ of movement in degrees at each thoracic vertebrae, it helps us appreciate what we might expect if we were to test each of these actions listed in the grid below. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Looking at this graph it's clear that the thoracic spine tots up its highest ranges of motion in rotation. If we add up the total from C7-L1 it equals 57 degrees of thoracic rotation in either direction…..hopefully!</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So if you can keep everything else that contributes to rotation static as best you can then ask your client to rotate their spine, observe how far they rotate, eyeballing from an aerial view, you can evaluate how close, or far, they are to/from the norms below….</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24896" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.40.48.png" alt="" width="624" height="430" /></p>

<h2><b>Ribs</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now we really MUST talk about these bony ‘arches’ - rib meaning ‘</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">cover, ceiling or arch</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">’. The ribs will ONLY attach to the thoracic vertebrae, not the lumbars, not the cervical. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They’re typically made up of a body, neck, head, tubercle, angle &amp; costal groove - see image.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you look back up to the image of the thoracic vertebra again &amp; see these 2 areas…….</span>

<b>Transverse costal facet - </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Transverse you know, costal means relating to ribs, facet - smooth/flat</span>

<b>Superior costal facet - </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">You getting the idea? Superior - upper. Costal - relates to rib. Facet - smooth/flat.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">….these are the landing sites for the ribs to attach to.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">OK I'd like you to try something now to appreciate rib movements;</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sit or stand upright &amp; place your palm across your top 5 ribs…..take a breath &amp; feel their movement. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now place your palms around your 6-10 ribs &amp; breath, feel the difference in action. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now finally place your palms around your last/lowest ribs 11-12 - known as ‘floating’ ribs since they ONLY attach at the back, not at the front, in fact they're half the size &amp; therefore can't reach the front!! They move quite a bit if you press them, they almost bounce, to allow for large intakes of breath!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">(Ribs 1-8 are known as ‘true’ - why? They truly do attach to the sternum</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ribs 8-10 known as ‘false’ - why? The just </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">pretend</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to attach to the sternum via the cartilage)</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now repeat this &amp; imagine their relationship with the thoracic spine &amp; your overall spine's mobility. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Can you understand how a stiff thoracic spine can limit breathing capacity? </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Or </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Can you understand how improving your clients thoracic mobility can increase lung capacity?</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24897" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.42.30.png" alt="" width="531" height="334" /></p>

<h2><b>Interesting Facts about Ribs </b></h2>
<b>(</b><a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502701/9-interesting-facts-about-ribs"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502701/9-interesting-facts-about-ribs</span></a><b>)</b>

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<h3><b>In rare instances we can have a Gorilla Rib!</b></h3>
<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">In rare cases, which have nothing to do with gender, a human might turn up sporting extra lumbar ribs, for a total of 13 pairs of ribs, much like our distant cousins, the gorillas. Thus, it's colloquially known as a "</span></i><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9ySapTadd6kC&amp;pg=PA98&amp;lpg=PA98&amp;dq=gorilla+anatomy,+ribs&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=0nYerPFCmB&amp;sig=Dv2nSGDid8va2bZGhWth17MSMg8&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjR95j_tKrWAhXqgFQKHc8LBKkQ6AEIUTAK#v=onepage&amp;q=gorilla%20anatomy%2C%20ribs&amp;f=false"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">gorilla rib</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">."</span></i>
<h3><b>Ribs are the reason Neanderthals didn't need belts!</b></h3>
<h4><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neanderthals had </span></i><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NYg0CwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT156&amp;lpg=PT156&amp;dq=neanderthals+rib+cage+shape&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=uGdUFQTT6h&amp;sig=-ugu-Q_8Wa71I8O-jmkmr0dUj98&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjrjtXjo7TWAhVn5YMKHWUyB5UQ6AEIggEwEw#v=onepage&amp;q=neanderthals%20rib%20cage%20shape&amp;f=false"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">wider, thicker rib cages</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> than we modern slim-waisted humans, which would have made them terrible models for skinny jeans. A </span></i><a href="https://www.aftau.org/news-page-archaeology?=&amp;storyid4677=2262&amp;ncs4677=3%5C"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">2016 study</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in American Journal of Physical Anthropology found that the Ice-Age diet is likely responsible for the larger ribcage and wider pelvis in Neanderthals. Essentially, carbs were scarce and fat was abundant. This led to an enlarged liver, kidneys and "their corresponding morphological manifestations," the authors write. In other words, they needed more space to house bigger organs.</span></i></h4>
<h3><b>2 Very different kinds of athletes share one common injury…</b></h3>
<h4><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Rowers and baseball pitchers are the most common athletes to suffer from stress fractures of the ribs," Martinez says. This is caused by the serratus anterior muscle pulling on the delicate ribs. "Other athletes that may be more likely to suffer from rib stress fractures include golfers, dancers, weightlifters and volleyball players," he adds.</span></i></h4>
<h3><b>You can sneeze your way to a rib fracture!</b></h3>
<h4><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">"True" rib fractures—where the bone breaks all the way through—are usually from traumatic events such as "a hard football tackle [or] car accident," Martinez says. However, sometimes a rib fracture can occur "from sneezing or coughing due to the force of the contracting chest wall muscles on the ribs." Treatment for true rib fractures is the same as rib stress fractures.</span></i></h4>
<h3><b>‘Waist Training’ used to be all the rage….still sometimes is!  </b></h3>
<h4><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women have historically worn corsets, undergarments that cinch the torso in, particularly at the waist, bringing ribs and organs closer together for a smaller waist and more prominent bust. Despite corsets having gone out of fashion </span></i><a href="http://tahliamckellartextiles.weebly.com/corset-timeline.html"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by the 1920s</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, when women began to prefer the looser, more flowing garments of the Flapper era, a number of contemporary women still wear them for reasons ranging from aesthetics to performance art, spawning a practice known as </span></i><a href="https://lucycorsetry.com/2013/10/13/waist-training-vs-tight-lacing/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">tight lacing or waist training</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In this movement, women actively whittle their waists down to exceptionally small circumferences.</span></i></h4>
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/05/waist-whittlers-dangers/75225022/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Doctors warn</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that there is risk of permanent damage to squished organs, as well as such uncomfortable syndromes as acid reflux syndrome and back pain. But it doesn't stop those who love the look!</span></i>

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<h2><b>Sternum &amp; friends...                                                               <img class="wp-image-24898 alignright" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.45.41.png" alt="" width="248" height="377" /></b></h2>
&nbsp;
<h2><b>Jugular notch</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Latin roots, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jugulum</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> meaning </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">throat or collarbone</span>
<h2><b>Manubrium</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">F</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">rom </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">manus</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for hand. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Manubrium</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> means to be a handle.
</span>
<h3><b>Sternum </b></h3>
<b> </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">From the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greek word </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">sternon</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, ‘chest, breast, or breastbone’ from a root that means ‘flat surface.’</span>
<h2><b>Xiphoid process</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Greek </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">word </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">xiphos</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for ‘straight sword’</span>

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<h2><b>Lumbar Spine </b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Lumbar vertebrae, of which there are 5, are much stockier than their thoracic buddies due to having more load on top of them, therefore designed wider to support the extra load. Look at the difference here then go back to compare to the thoracic vertebrae above…..  </span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24899" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.47.56.png" alt="" width="416" height="366" /></p>

<h2><b>Lumbar Spine Ranges of Motion</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As we did earlier for the thoracic spine, here we can see the ‘norms’ of ranges in degrees for the lumbar spine. Can you see that the lumbar spine has more capacity for flexion? Interesting eh! Remember the lumbar spine is ‘normally’ in extension, or lordosis, so it should make sense that the ranges it can achieve in flexion will be greater. However its capacity for rotation is only 3-4 degrees at each joint.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How do you imagine this would relate to movement or assessing movement?</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember we can use these norms to evaluate a client's capacity. Subjective - yes to some degree but better than no evaluation at all, right!? </span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24900" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.49.35.png" alt="" width="463" height="271" /></p>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">For </span><b>Sacrum &amp; Coccyx</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> - see Pelvis Biomechanics Part 1- The Bones!</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Neutral Spine</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The neutral spine position can be a controversial topic, which is likely due to the varying presentations that could be deemed ‘neutral’, the fact we are rarely in our ‘neutral’ &amp; yet some schools of thought teach ‘</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">neutral spine</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">’ as a position we should be able to get into &amp; sustain while moving. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">What is a neutral spine anyway?</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Well I will have a go at explaining my thoughts based upon my limited knowledge &amp; understanding of its definition. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular spines are usually made up of a series of curves that either curve away from or toward the body</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Cervical &amp; Lumbar areas are concave or are </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">lordotic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span>

<b>Lordotic - </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greek word from lordos meaning ‘bent backward’</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Whereas the Thoracic &amp; Sacrum areas are convex or kyphotic. </span><b>Kyphotic - </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greek word </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">kyphos</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ‘crooked’</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">From the side view this gives an ‘S’ shape….or that's what we would normally expect.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">When these ‘normal’ curves are present it should mean the discs have the same pressure around the outer edges - anterior to posterior &amp; laterally. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So when our client’s round their spine forwards into flexion or over a computer, they are creating more pressure to the anterior (front) of the spine/discs etc, which is fine - until it's done consistently for days, weeks, months &amp; years. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As our bodies evolve &amp; adapt to our surroundings it's no surprise that our spinal curves are changing. So much so that different cultures, different people, different lifestyles can result in different degrees of ‘S’ shape.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This means that being able to coach a neutral spine is contentious if/when we have a variety of presentations. How would we know what neutral spine is when we cannot see the actual spine? It's subjective but it shouldn’t stop us coaching better intrinsic function &amp; movement.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In some individuals they can even present with a more J shape to their spine. Flatter but with a curve at the top of the buttocks!</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Hyper Spines !!!???</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is misinterpreted that lordosis is a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">condition or diagnosis</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In fact I have often been told by clients “</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I have lordosis</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">” because they were told this by their practitioner, or had read it somewhere, but this statement is not technically accurate &amp; can be confusing. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Lordosis is a position NOT a diagnosis &amp; this is the same with kyphosis.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However HYPERlordosis or HYPERkyphosis could be deemed excessive curvature. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Hyper = ‘over &amp; beyond’</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The ‘diagnosis’ can only be made by a qualified practitioner &amp; would likely be because they suspected that this exaggerated spine shape is the cause of reported symptoms. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">To ‘measure’ degrees of curvature could be challenging when you consider how unique we all are. So addressing the symptoms rather than the actual curve, or the things that can affect our curves, would probably result in more success…...what do you think?</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Scoliosis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a structural lateral curve of the bones that is likely more visible from the back. Severity again can vary greatly &amp; it doesn't guarantee having symptoms.  </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">However the appearance of a lateral ‘scoliotic’ curve can be caused by soft tissue tensions too! </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">That pesky lil QL again! </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ooooooo betcha can't wait for </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Spine Biomechanics - Part 4 The Muscles of the Spine now!</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Whoah before that…...</span>

&nbsp;
<h2><b>Spine Biomechanics So what?</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Look, keeping this super simple in application, the spine SHOULD present with a nice smooth ‘C’ shaped curve when we bend in any direction. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If it does not, what direction does your client struggle with? Flexion?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Extension? Rotation?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Is there an asymmetry from one side to the other?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Does it feel stiff or tight?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">What would you understand to be the intervention for a stiff joint?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember ‘pain’ is a red flag &amp; only the remit of a qualified practitioner. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">OPTIONAL TEST -Can you name these diagrams?</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24901" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screenshot-2020-11-16-at-13.51.37.png" alt="" width="411" height="564" /></p>

<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Any questions please hit reply/comment &amp; share if you think it will be helpful to others!</span></h3>
&nbsp;
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">NEXT TIME;</span></h1>
<h1><b>Spine Biomechanics - Part 4 The Muscles of the Spine now!</b></h1>
&nbsp;
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