The vertebral column

Introduction

How many pieces are there?

• Keep saying the numbers to a beat: 7 12 5 5 4

• TASK: Create your own rhyme to remember the order.

Cute Cervical Neck 7

Teddies Thoracic Attached to ribs

12

Love Lumbar Lower back

5

Some Sacrum pelvis 5

Cuddles Coccyx Tail remains

4

Parts of a vertebra

Atlas and axis

Taska. How do we warm up our neck joint

before physical activity?

b. What is the job/function of each?

Why the spine is regarded as weak for some activities

• The shape of the spine is fairly thin for the weight it is expected to carry and support.

• Additional activity where we have to lift or carry can be dangerous.

• If we break our spine we will damage our spinal cord.

• This can result in paralysis or death.

Why the spine is regarded as weak for some activities

• Look at the shape of the neck.

• It is particularly vulnerable to injury.

• Lower down, the spine is supported by ribs and it becomes thicker.

Task

1. Copy the table below and add 2 neck-related examples of your own.

Sport incident Possible result

Rugby Collapsed scrum

Body weight lands on your neck at a band angle and breaks it

Why the spine is regarded as weak for some activities

• Look at the movement of the back it looks very flexible

• ….but in fact it’s not!

Look at the movement of the back it looks very flexible

• Between each vertebra you have a disc of cartilage.

• When we bend there is a small amount of movement between each one.

• Many vertebrae means there is a lot of movement.

Task1. When we play golf, the spine seems to

move a lot. How can this be?

Look at the movement of the back it looks very flexible

• If you lift something badly or bend over or twist unexpectedly you can tear or strain the ligaments holding the vertebrae.

• This is called a ‘slipped disc’.

Task1. List four functions of the skeleton.

2. Using these four functions, explain how the vertebrae help fulfil those functions.