Spinal curves

There are four natural curves in the spinal column: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral curvatures. The curves, along with the intervertebral disks, help to absorb and distribute stresses that occur from everyday activities, such as walking, and from more intense activities, such as running and jumping.

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Review Date: 12/23/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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