What Is Your Thoracic Region?

The spine has different regions depending on the location in the body. In this article, we are going to talk about your thoracic region – where it is located and how you can maintain its health.

The thoracic region is the region in your spine which is located in the upper back. It runs from your neck area until your rib cage area. It is very important for you to learn the different parts involved as this region is mainly responsible for a lot of back problems.

Your thoracic spine is made up of four main structures. Each structure serves a unique purpose. First in the list are the bones and the joints. The thoracic area consists of 12 vertebrae located at the middle part of the spinal column. These bones are often referred to as T1 to T12 where T means thoracic. T1 or the uppermost bone is connected to the lower neck area while the T12 or the bottommost area is connected to the upper rib cage area. If you try to analyse the bones, you will see that the bottommost is the largest while the uppermost is the smallest. This is very important to ensure that the spine has a good balance and support.

Second in the list are the nerves. Your thoracic region will not be complete if there are no nerves attached to it. The spine is the bony structure that protects the spinal cord – the long line of nerves that send messages to and from the brain. The part of the cord that is located in the region is the thinnest. The nerves located here are responsible for sending signals to the organs of the upper body which are mainly located in the chest and the abdomen.

Third in the list are the connective tissues. The bones of the vertebrae are attached together by the ligaments or the connective tissues. They are important to ensure that the bones are stable. It is also important to note that every vertebra has a disc. The disc is made up of nucleus and annulus which protect the nerves from being damaged. The nucleus works as the shock absorber while the annulus serves as the main protector as it is made up of strong ligaments.

Fourth in the list are the muscles. The muscles that are located in the thoracic region are interesting. They are arranged in a layered manner. The muscles do not only help connect the bones together but also to the other bony structures such as the ribs.

These are some of the basic things you need to know about your thoracic spine. It is very important that you take care of this area to avoid experiencing back pains. You can do extension exercises to improve the condition of this region. Visit your doctor from time to time and have your spine checked for possible problems.