
	Basic Anatomy for Beginners: Types of Pain Intervertebral Disc The Spinal Ligaments The Sacrum The Vertebra

The Spinal Ligaments are Extremely Strong!

Not only are the spinal ligaments strong, they are also numerous and complex. It would serve no benefit to list and describe each one in turn. Doctors today still diagnose some cases of back pain as a sprained back ligament!

OK, this is possible but it is impossible to isolate the problem to a single ligamentous structure as the sole cause of a back problem! This is not only because they are numerous but they also tend to blend in with one another.

Ligament Taut Ligament Slack

Without going into too much detail, it is sufficient to say that stability is their main function. Acting like ropes, they usually provide support in a particular movement. By restricting movement in a specific direction, they allow it in the opposite direction by providing slack.

Because of their function, they are extremely strong and usually only are injured through trauma. Having said this, they could potentially be strained through poor posture. This places a low load over a long period of time that eventually reaches a point where it becomes inflamed. This may lead to the development of backache.