Human back

Your back is behind you. It goes from your neck to your hips.

A row of bones runs down the middle. These bones help your body stay strong. They also hold your nerves inside.

Your ribs cover the top part of your back. The bottom part can bend and move. This helps you lean forward or back. Some spots on your back are hard to reach. You might even need a tool to scratch an itch! Your back is a very important part of you.

Your back is the large area behind your body. It goes from your neck down to your hips.

A central row of bones runs down the middle. This is the vertebral column. It holds your spinal cord inside. The ribs attach to the top part of the spine. This helps support your upper body.

Your back has many muscles. Some muscles help you move your arms and shoulders. Other muscles help you breathe. Some deep muscles help you stay upright. The lower back is very flexible. It lets you bend forward or backward. However, it does not let you twist easily.

The skin on your back is thick. It has fewer nerve endings than other skin. This means it might not feel things as sharply. Some parts of your back are hard to reach. You might not be able to touch your own middle back! People often use the back as a large space for tattoos. Back pain is very common. Most of the time, it comes from tired muscles. Many things can cause pain, like broken bones or disc problems.

Your back is the large area on the rear of your body. It rises from the top of your buttocks to the back of your neck. This area is the opposite side of your chest and belly.

A central column of bones runs down the middle. This is called the vertebral column. It creates a dip in the center of your back. The width of your back comes from your shoulders and your pelvis. The back is very important for supporting your head and trunk. It also gives you the strength to move your body.

The back works through many different layers of muscles. The first layer is the superficial group. These muscles help move your arms and shoulders. The middle layer is the intermediate group. These muscles may help with breathing.

The third layer is the deep group. These muscles stay close to the spine to help you stay upright. The bones also play a big role in how you move. The upper back is very stiff because the ribs are attached to the spine. The lower back is much more flexible. It lets you bend forward or backward, but it does not let you twist.

Many parts of your body are located near the back. Your lungs sit inside the ribcage. They extend far enough back that a doctor can listen to them through your skin. Your kidneys sit below the ribs. They are located under the muscles in the lower part of your back. Because of where they sit, a strike to the lower back could damage them. The skin on your back is also quite unique. It is thicker than the skin on most other parts of your torso. It also has fewer nerve endings. This means it may not feel things as sharply as other skin.

Back pain is a very common thing for adults to feel. It is the second most common type of pain, after headaches. Most of the time, the pain comes from a simple muscle strain. These muscles can usually heal themselves in a few weeks. However, the pain can be very strong and make it hard to move.

Other causes of pain include broken bones or problems with the discs between your bones. Some people also deal with arthritis, which is wear and tear in the joints. There are many different names for these issues, like spondylolisthesis or a lumbar disc herniation. These are all parts of the complex system that makes up your back.

People use the back in many ways in art and daily life. Artists like Edgar Degas have painted the back for a long time. Because the back is a large, flat area, people often use it for tattoos. The back is the largest canvas for body art on a human. You might see tattoos on a shoulder blade or across the whole back.

Some parts of the back are so hard to reach that you cannot touch them. This is why people use backscratchers to reach an itch. In English, we even use the back in many common sayings. We say someone should "watch their back" to stay safe. We also say a friend "has your back" to show they will help you.

The human back, or dorsum, is the large posterior area of the body. It extends from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. This area is the surface opposite the chest and abdomen. The back is essential for supporting the head and the trunk. It also provides strength and a great deal of flexibility.

The width of the back is defined by the shoulders and the pelvis. At the top, the scapula, or shoulder blades, create the breadth. The vertebral column runs the entire length of the back. This column creates a central area of recession in the body.

The central feature of the back is the vertebral column. This structure houses the spinal cord within a spinal canal. It consists of different types of vertebrae that give the back its shape. The thoracic vertebrae are located in the upper part of the spine. Below these are the lumbar vertebrae, which make up the lower back. The ribcage extends from the spine starting at the T1 vertebra. This ribcage covers more than halfway down the length of the back. This leaves a specific area with less protection between the ribs and the hips.

Muscles in the back are organized into three distinct groups. The superficial group is also called the appendicular group. These muscles, such as the trapezius and latissimus dorsi, move the appendicular skeleton. The intermediate group is known as the respiratory group. This group includes the serratus posterior superior and inferior muscles. They may serve a function related to breathing.

The third group is the deep group, or intrinsic group. These muscles originate within the back itself. They are divided into four subgroups: spinotransversales, erector spinae, transversospinales, and segmental muscles.

The deep muscles provide vital stability and movement. The spinotransversales include the splenius capitis and splenius cervicis. The erector spinae group consists of the iliocostalis, longissimus, and spinalis. The transversospinales group includes the semispinalis, multifidus, and rotatores. Finally, the segmental muscles include the levatores costarum, interspinales, and intertransversarii. These muscles are innervated by the posterior rami of spinal nerves. This differs from the superficial and intermediate groups, which use the anterior rami. This complex layering allows for both strength and intricate movement.

Movement in the back depends on the specific section of the spine. The upper back offers the most structural support. This is because the ribs are attached firmly to each level of the thoracic spine. Consequently, the upper back has very limited movement. In contrast, the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back allow for much more flexibility. This area permits extension, which is bending backward, and flexion, which is bending forward. However, the lower back does not permit twisting movements.

Several important organs are located near the back. The lungs sit inside the ribcage and extend toward the back. This allows doctors to listen to them through the back. The kidneys are situated beneath the muscles in the lower back area. They sit below the end of the ribcage and connect loosely to the peritoneum. Because of this position, a strike to the lower back can damage the kidneys. The skin on the back is also unique. It is thicker and has fewer nerve endings than skin on the rest of the torso.

Back pain is a very common medical condition. It is the second most common type of pain in adults, following headaches. The most frequent cause of this pain is muscle strain. While intense, these muscle injuries can usually heal within a few weeks. Other causes include disc problems like a lumbar disc herniation. People may also experience degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis. Other issues include fractures, such as spondylolisthesis or an osteoporotic fracture.

The back also holds significant cultural meaning. In art, the curvature of the back is a frequent theme. Artists like Edgar Degas have used the back in their paintings.

Because the back is large and has relatively little hair, it is a popular canvas for tattoos. Some people have tattoos that cover the entire back. Additionally, the back is used in many English idioms. Phrases like "watch one's back" or "having someone's back" highlight the area's perceived vulnerability or strength.