HOW DOES THE SPINL TTUm Exercise 1: Discuss the following points in pairs.

Have you ever had any

problems with your spine, or do you know anyone who had? What were these problems caused by?
ka Portune Which jobs predispose to spinal problems? Why? What should / shouldn't people do in
the case of spinal problems? • Why do so many school children have spinal deformities diagnosed?
How can such a situation be improved? pola duluk Exercise 2: Read the text and answer the
questions below. In simple terms, your spine is nothing more than a group of bones (vertebrae) in a
line up the center of your back. All spinal regions (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccygeal) work
together to provide support and stability for much of the weight of the upper body. Each bone has a
passage that forms a tunnel for the spinal cord, protecting it as it extends downward from the brain
But the spine is more than just a protective tube. While the spine provides protection and support, it
also allows people to bend, twist, rotate, and otherwise move their upper body in every direction.
The bones themselves do not actually bend or twist; the flexibility of the spine comes from z
structures between the bones called facet joints and intervertebral diskş. Interverte- bral disks are
situated between the bones of the spine, creating a space for nerves 3 branching out from the spinal
cord to other areas of the body. The disks are made of tough rings of fibrous elastic material called
cartilage, When healthy, they take upbral disks are situated between the bones of the spine,
creating a space for nerves 3 branching out from the spinal cord to other areas of the body. The
disks are made of tough rings of fibrous elastic material called cartilage. When healthy, they take up
much of the shock that walking, running, jumping, and even sitting can place on the spine. Every
time you bend, extend, or twist, there is a change of pressure in the fluid-filled area of the disk. In
moderate amounts, this change of pressure is actually good for the disks. In the long term, howev
can damage the rings that hold the fluid in place. Facet joints are places where ver- tebrae rub
directly against each other. Located on the extensions of bone off the back side of the vertebrae,
these surfaces come in contact with those of the verte- brae directly above and below. Their
purpose is to safely guide and restrict the movement of the spinal bones. The bones of the spine
would not be able to move or even hold themselves upright without the muscles and ligaments that
surround them. Attached to all the bones and disks in the spine are long, cordlike structures called
ligaments. Not as hard as bone but not as soft as muscle, these bands of connective tissue come in
almost every size. down draina endu exce exte exte face excessive forward bending movements 4
pow wo fat fe fit fic The ligaments have several important functions. They provide support for the
spine from the head down to the tip of the tailbone, holding disks and bones and muscles in their
proper places. Their main function is to hold the bones together, allowing bend- ing, twisting, and
other movements to occur within safe ranges. Because ligaments are elastic - have the ability to
stretch a little but not too much, they are perfectly suited for this task. The ligaments also play a
major role in posture. When they main- tain their normal length and flexibility, they support the
bones of the spine, keeping them in good positions. With poor postural habits, however, the
ligaments on one 14side of your spine can be overstretched. Over time, probably months or years,
the result is poor posture. Poor posture, in turn, can cause the ligaments to ache. Indeed, back or
neck pain that cannot be attributed to a specific accident or injury is often a sign that poor posture is
taking a toll on the ligaments. The ligaments, when sprained or torm, take a long time to heal
because of their poor blood supply. Muscles are cordlike structures that are even more elasticthan
ligaments. Like liga- ments, muscles can stretch; unlike the ligaments, muscles also have the ability
to contract, or shorten. How do muscles work? Basically, when you want to move, your brain sends a
message through the nerves to the correct muscle. When the message gets to the muscle, chemicals
inside the muscle cause the muscle to shorten. Be- cause the muscle is attached to the bone, this
shortening pulls on the bone. If the strength of this shortening is strong enough, the bone, and
therefore the body, moves. Your spine and the related structures benefit from movements that
place acceptable levels of stress on them. Proper exercises can thicken, stretch, and build the endur-
ance of your back. On the other hand, problems appear when people have overdone or overused
their back and this has fatigued or injured certain spinal tissues. 1Alerd licts1. Why can the spine be
called a 'protective tube? , 2. What are the flexible structures of the spine? - 3. What is the function
of the intervertebral disks? 4. What can excessive forward bending movements result in? 5. What
are facet joints responsible for? . 6. What are the functions of ligaments? 7. Why is the process of
healing ligaments so long? . 8. In what way are muscles different from ligaments? , 9. List all the
structures responsible for movement of the spine.