Anatomy of a Healthy Spine   |   What Goes Wrong   |   Science Put Into Practice
Key Components of The Pettibon System    |   Active Patient Participation    |   Three Phases of Care

The Anatomy of a Healthy Spine and Good Posture

The human spine is an amazing biomechanical masterpiece. It enables us to have movement for fitness and health. How? Our soft tissues (muscles, discs, and ligaments) hold our hard tissues (vertebrae) in their optimal position relative to gravity.

Muscles provide stength. Discs absorb shock, letting the spine twist and bend. Ligaments connect and secure the vertebrae. Vertebrae protect the spinal cord and support the body's weight.

What does good posture look like? From the front, your head, shoulders, hips, and knees are all level. From a side view, we can easily draw a straight line, vertical line from the center mass of your head (that point is one inch in front of your ear), through your shoulder, hip, and knee. You'll also see three natural curves.

When your spine is in proper position and moving the way it's supposed to, there's a forward curve in the neck (cervical curve), a backward curve in the uper back (thoracic curve), and a curve in the lower back (lumbar curve).

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