The Spine – A Casualty of Modern Lifestyles

The spine is made up of 26 bones. It forms the central axis of the body, protects the spinal cord and forms joints with the 12 pairs of ribs. The segmentation and curvatures of the spine make it ideally suited to provide both stability and mobility. It provides a rigid casing for the spinal cord while allowing for the passage of nerves to the periphery.

Modern lifestyles predispose us to lower back clinical conditions. Certain types of sports and dance forms put great stresses on the spine, which could potentially lead to back injuries. This lecture will explore the normal structure and function of the spine and provide a glimpse into the mechanisms leading to injuries of the spine.

|| What you Gain? ||

By the end of the session, the listener will have an understanding of:
> Parts of the spine
> Curvatures of the spine and their functional importance
> Structure of a vertebra
> Factors maintaining the structural stability of the spine
> Movements of the spine
> Common injuries of the spine

|| Facilitator ||

Nachiket Shankar is a faculty member in the Department of Anatomy at St. John’s Medical College, with a keen interest in medical education and research methodology. He is an active member of the Department of Medical Education at St. John’s. He enjoys teaching, music, and sports.