The Lowdown on Low Back Pain – Anatomy

The lumbar region of the spine, also known as the lower back, is made up of five vertebrae (bones of the spine) that are responsible for supporting the upper body and keeping the body stable and balanced. Medical professionals usually refer to them as L1 to L5. L for Lumbar and the numbered going from top to bottom. These bones are the biggest in the spine and are built to handle a lot of weight.

Between each vertebra, there are discs (called intervertebral discs) that act like “shock absorbers” and protect the spine from injury. But if these discs get hurt, it can cause back pain and other problems like a herniated disc (a part of the disc pops out).

The lower back also has nerves that come from the spinal cord and control feeling and movement in the legs. If these nerves get damaged, you may feel some tingling or “pin-and-needles” sensation coming from you lower back down legs

The lower back also has some large muscles like the quadratus lumborum (a deep muscle goes from the back portion of the hip and connects to each of the lumbar vertebra), the erector spinae (a long muscle that runs along the entire spine), and the psoas major (another deep muscle that goes from the lumbar vertebra to the groin. Like the quadratus lumborum, but from the front.). These muscles work together to provide stability, support, and movement for the lower back.

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