Posterolateral view of the lumbar spine

Bones of the Lumbar Spine and Pelvis

The low back is defined by the lumbar spine, composed of 5 vertebrae, named L1-L5. The pelvis is defined by the bones of the pelvic girdle.

A thorough assessment should be performed for all clients presenting with neck injury/pain, such as after a whiplash accident pictured here

Assessment and Treatment of Specific Musculoskeletal Conditions of the Neck

This blog post introduces and explains how the manual therapist can perform assessment and treatment for specific musculoskeletal conditions of the neck.

herniated disc with compression of the spinal nerve in the intervertebral foramen

Pathologic Disc Conditions of the Neck

The danger with a disc bulge or herniation is that the disc can compress the spinal nerve within the intervertebral foramen, causing a pinched nerve.

posterior glide / translation motion of the spine

Motions of the Cervical Spine

Table 1 shows average healthy ranges of axial motion of the cervical spine (head and neck), from the atlanto-occipital joint through the C7-T1 joint.

cervical spinal joints - posterolateral view of the atlanto-occipital joint

Cervical Spinal Joints

The disc joint is a cartilaginous joint that is composed of outer fibers called the annulus fibrosus that encircle the inner nucleus pulposus.