Table of Contents
What part of the body does the lumbar spine control?
Supports your upper body, distributes body weight. Your lumbar spine connects to your pelvis and bears most of your body’s weight, as well as the stress of lifting and carrying items. Your lumbar spine also transfers the weight from your upper body to your legs.
What organs are located in the lumbar region?
The right lumbar region contains the:
- The tip of the liver.
- The gallbladder.
- The small intestine.
- The ascending colon.
- The right kidney.
What are the symptoms of lumbar spine nerve damage?
Such symptoms may include:
- Pain, weakness or numbness in the legs, calves or buttocks.
- Cramping in the calves with walking, requiring frequent short rests to walk a distance.
- Pain radiating into one or both thighs and legs, similar to the lay term “sciatica”
How many vertebrae are there in the human spine?
The human backbone is a column of 33 total vertebrae, of which 24 are movable and free (the remainder are fused). The movable vertebrae are divided into three regions: cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. There are five lumbar vertebrae, although occasionally some people have six. The first lumbar spinal vertebra (L1) is the first of this series.
What are the vertebrae of the lumbar spine?
The vertebrae of the lumbar spine are numbered L1 through L5; the “L” stands for “lumbar.” They are: L1: This vertebra begins the lumbar spine after the thoracic spine ends.
What is the function of the lumbar spine?
Lumbar Spine Lower Back and Superficial Muscles The muscles of the lower back help stabilize, rotate, flex, and extend the spinal column, which is a bony tower of 24 vertebrae that gives the body structure and houses the spinal cord. The spinal cord and its nerves are the means by which the body and brain communicate with one another.
What are the muscles of the lumbar spine?
The lumbar spine is located in the lower back and typically consists of five vertebrae. The muscles of the lower back help stabilize, rotate, flex, and extend the spinal column. Deep muscles of the lower back include: The multifidus, a long muscle that travels nearly the entire length of the back.