Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Image

Anatomy of the spine

Illustration showing the structure of the spine

Your back is composed of 24 vertebrae plus your sacrum and tailbone (coccyx), 31 pairs of nerves, 40 muscles, and a number of connecting tendons and ligaments. Between your vertebrae are fibrous, elastic pads of cartilage called intervertebral disks. These shock absorbers keep your spine flexible and cushion the hard vertebrae when you move.

IM01838

© 1998-2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


Text Size: smaller largerlarger