By Pam Walatka

Section of the spine shows two lumbar vertebrae.

No matter what is wrong with your back, your spine requires healthy muscles to keep the vertebrae in place.

The spine consists of a stack of bones, one sitting on top of another. Each bone (vertebra) is shaped somewhat like a drum with “wings.” The bones are stacked, with a soft cushioning disk between each drum-like part. The wings stick out in back and are attached to many muscles. The wings provide a place for the spinal-alignment muscles to attach, as well as a channel for the spinal cord.

Some of the spinal alignment muscles are long, some are short, traversing only the space from one vertebra to the next. Abdominal muscles also contribute to spinal alignment. When the spine-supporting muscles are healthy (strong and flexible) they hold the vertebrae nicely in place. When the spinal alignment muscles are flabby or rigid, you have back problems. When the bones get out of proper alignment, they can injure - and rupture - the disks that are supposed to provide cushioning between the bones. A ruptured disk can protrude backwards and push against the nerves in the spinal cord. Also, bones out of alignment can pinch nerves.

Ask your doctor if you are allowed to do spinal-alignment strengthening exercises. There is a good book, “No More Aching Back” by Dr. Leon Root that explains why a regimen of daily exercises can prevent and ameliorate back problems. Suggested exercises include the pelvic tilt, the bridge, the cross-legged stretch, and crunches. “The only one who can ultimately make your back better is you,” Root writes. “A combination … of good body mechanics and strong muscles of the spine is essential for a healthy back … to treat the origin of the symptoms, an exercise program is essential.”

The human spine is designed to have many degrees of freedom. If your muscles and ligaments are healthy, the bones of your spine are free to move in many directions.

In the long run, there are three things you need to do to have a healthier back:

• Let your back move. Learn to walk and move with freedom. Don’t sit all day; find ways to work standing up (put your computer monitor on a box, or push your laptop screen back) and look for excuses to walk.

• Listen to your back. If you noticed the first signs of pain from your back and stopped what you were doing, you could prevent many major backaches. The first signs of pain are warning signals. If you ignore the warning signals, the pain will keep getting louder until you hear it.

• Strengthen your back and abdominal muscles You need to do exercises to make your back and abdominal muscles strong.

Walatka is a Los Altos Hills resident who practices yoga. The information above is not intended as medical advice. For more information, see www.wildhorses.com.