Damage to the neck and back is among the more common injuries suffered in Buffalo personal injury accidents. The spine is a very complicated part of the body. It needs to protect the spinal cord and associated nerves which allow for feeling and motion throughout the entire body, yet be flexible enough to allow for normal movement. While the spine’s large number of moving parts and specialized structures are wonderful when working properly, the complexity of this system also makes the spine more susceptible to injury.
Doctors divide the spine into three separate sections: the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae (the individual bones that make up the spine) running from the bottom of the skull to the base of the neck. It is responsible for movement of the neck and is generally the least protected part of the spine because of its need for flexibility.
The thoracic spine consists of twelve vertebrae running from the base of the neck to approximately the bottom of the rib cage. It is probably the portion of the spine least likely to be damaged in a personal injury accident, since it is not as flexible as the other portions of the spine and it is somewhat protected by the ribs, shoulder blades, etc., which surround it.
The lumbar spine usually consists of five vertebrae (there can be some variation in this) which run from the bottom of the ribs to the small of the back. Flexibility at the waist is largely seated in the lumbar spine, so it tends to be damaged in personal injury accidents more often than the thoracic spine.
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