Lumbar Anatomy

Addressing Lumbar Anatomy and Why the Lower Back Hurts

Take a look at a picture of the human skeleton and you’ll immediately notice the complexity of the spinal column. This strong, flexible part of the body is a mixture of bones, tendons, muscles, joints, ligaments…all coming together to support the human body and allow it the freedom of movement one expects.

The lumbar portion of the spine refers to the lower back. Here, the mixture of body parts is just as complicated. As such, lumbar anatomy can be tough for medical students to understand and certainly difficult for the lay person to grasp as well. When it’s necessary to teach our patients about lumbar anatomy, do we tell them all about L1 and the other vertebrae? How about the lumbosacral joint? Are we able to explain why L4-5 are most prone to injury or why certain movements contribute to the possibility for injury?

Well, as spine specialists, the time may come when we have to explain all of those lumbar anatomy-associated things to our clients, but chances are that those patients aren’t looking for all the minute details about the parts of their spine. More than likely, they just want to know why they are in pain and what to do about it. Wouldn’t that be your reaction?

So, instead of explaining – with words – that the lumbar segments are stacked vertically and separated by an intervertebral disc or how the facet joints allow for movement or why the sciatic nerve is causing a problem, why not show them?

The lumbar models manufactured by Dynamic Disc Designs are fully movable and among the most realistic models available for this purpose. As a matter of fact, spine professionals who use them to explain lumbar anatomy note that they’d be at a loss without them. These highly-detailed models are essential for quality patient education because they’re easy to understand. It’s that simple.

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No one likes to be bogged down with medical jargon they don’t understand. How many times have you been in a situation where something is being explained to you that is out of your grasp, yet you shake your head as if you understand? Unfortunately, the result of that scenario is usually that you walk away confused and probably unhappy. Is that what you want for your patients?

Of course not! As a doctor who cares about the well-being of his/her patients, you want them to be comfortable with what you’re doing to fix their problem. If lumbar anatomy remains a mystery to them, that comfort level decreases and the patient becomes scared and apprehensive. However, a patient who develops an understanding of the spine thanks to the details of models such as DDD’s Professional LxH lumbar model is a patient who feels at ease with your diagnosis AND your recommended course of treatment. That also results in patients who will stick with you in the future and recommend you to others in their circle of family and friends.

“After using every patient education tool out there over my 29 years of practicing, I finally found one that is hands down the best out there! My patients now truly understand, not only the problem, but the necessity of treatment!”
– Ken Peluso, DC