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Information about Lumbar

In anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum (pelvis). The five vertebrae in the lumbar region of the back are the largest and strongest in the movable part of the spinal column, and can be distinguished by the absence of a foramen in the transverse process, and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body. In most mammals, the lumbar region of the spine curves outward; this is called lordosis.

The actual spinal cord (medulla spinalis) terminates between vertebra one and two of this series, called L1 and L2. The nervous tissue that extends below this point are individual strands that collectively form the cauda equina. In between each lumbar vertebra a nerve root exits, and these nerve roots come together again to form the largest single nerve in the human body, the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs through the back of each leg and into the feet. This is why a disorder of the low back that affects a nerve root, such as a spinal disc herniation, can cause pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve (sciatica) down into the foot.

There are several muscles in the low back that assist with rotation, flexibility and strength. These muscles are susceptible to injury, especially while lifting heavy objects, or lifting while twisting. A low back muscle strain can be extremely painful but will usually heal within a few days or weeks.

The lumbar portion of the spine bears the most body weight and also provides the most flexibility, a combination that makes it susceptible to injury and wear and tear over time. This is why low back pain is so prevalent.

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Anatomy (from the Greek ἀνατομία anatomia, from ἀνατέμνειν
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    In grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a noun or pronoun (called the adjective's subject), giving more information about what the noun or pronoun refers to.
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    Abdominal may refer to:
    • Abdomen
    • Abdominal (rapper) (born 1974), Canadian musician

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    Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies (including that of the human) from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk. The torso includes the thorax and abdomen.
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    diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration.
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    The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones.
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    pelvis (pl. pelvises or pelves) is the bony structure located at the base of the spine (properly known as the caudal end). The pelvis incorporates the socket portion of the hip joint for each leg (in bipeds) or hind leg (in quadrupeds).
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    The Vertebral Column (singular: vertebra) are the individual irregular bones that make up the spinal column (aka ischis) — a flexuous and flexible column.
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    The Vertebral Column (singular: vertebra) are the individual irregular bones that make up the spinal column (aka ischis) — a flexuous and flexible column.
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    Mammalia
    Linnaeus, 1758

    Subclasses & Infraclasses
    • Subclass †Allotheria*
    • Subclass Prototheria
    • Subclass Theria

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    Lordosis
    Classification & external resources

    ICD-10 M40.3-M40.5
    ICD-9 737.2

    Lordosis (commonly referred to as swayback, saddle back, or hyper-lordosis
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    spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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    The central nervous system (CNS) represents the largest part of the nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord. Together with the peripheral nervous system, it has a fundamental role in the control of behavior.
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    The cauda equina is a structure within the lower end of the spinal column of most vertebrates, that consists of nerve roots and rootlets from above. Cauda equina is sometimes considered as an extension of the pia mater of the spinal cord.
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    A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of axons (the long, slender projection of a neuron). Neurons are sometimes called nerve cells, though this term is technically imprecise since many neurons do not form nerves, and nerves also include the glial cells that
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    The human body is the entire physical structure of a human organism. The human body consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs. The average height of an adult human is about 1.6 m (5 to 6 feet) tall. This size is largely determined by genes.
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    The sciatic nerve (also known as the ischiatic nerve) is a large nerve that starts in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. It is the longest single nerve in the body.
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    Spinal disc herniation
    Classification & external resources

    ICD-9 722.2

    OMIM 603932
    DiseasesDB 6861
    MedlinePlus 000442
    eMedicine orthoped/138   radio/219 A spinal disc herniation, incorrectly called a "slipped disc
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    Sciatica
    Classification & external resources

    Left gluteal region, showing surface markings for arteries and sciatic nerve.
    ICD-10 M 54.3 -M 54.4
    ICD-9 724.
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    Muscles may refer to:
    • Muscles, units of the muscular system of the body.
    • Muscles (musician)

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    strain is an injury to a muscle in which the muscle fibers tear as a result of overstretching. Strains are also colloquially known as pulled muscles. The equivalent injury to a ligament is a sprain.
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    MeSH D017116

    Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder which affects the lumbar segment of the spine. It can be either acute, subacute or chronic in its clinical presentation.
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    lumbar puncture (colloquially known as a spinal tap) is a diagnostic and at times therapeutic procedure that is performed in order to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for biochemical, microbiological, and cytological analysis, or—rarely—to relieve
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