Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionConditionsDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Conditions
Diagnosis
Treatment
The lumbar spine includes the five vertebrae in your lower back numbered L1 to L5.These bones help provide mobility and stability to your back and spinal column and are an attachment point for many muscles and ligaments.
The lumbar region is located between the thoracic (chest) region of the spine and the sacrum, a large bone at the base of the spine. The lumbar spine usually curves slightly inward, called lordosis. Problems with the lumbar spine may cause pain and limited motion in your back or hips.
Anatomy of the Lumbar Spine
In a normal, healthyspine, the five lumbar vertebrae stack on top of one another in a centered alignment.While all vertebrae have approximately the same shape, the lumbar bones are the largest. This is because they carry a larger load transmitted from the top of the head down to the lower spine.
Another reason why the lumbar bones are larger than thecervicalandthoracicvertebrae is that they must be large and strong to support the muscles and bones during movement.
The back of the vertebra is more complicated, with protrusions and valleys, each with a purpose integral to the spine. The bone extends out from the back of the vertebra to form canals for nerves, joints for stability, and attachment sites for muscles.These parts of the spine include:
Each region of the spine has adirectional curveassociated with it. The lumbar spine has a slight forward curve called a lordotic curve. This curve helps keep the discs and muscles in proper alignment.
The lumbar spine rests upon thesacrum. The place where they meet is called thelumbosacral joint, or L5-S1.
Muscles
The muscles in your lumbar spine work with your abdominal muscles to move your torso and lower back. These muscles include:
Disks
Above and below each vertebra is anintervertebral disc. The disc serves as a shock absorber between each lumbar bone.It also helps support your body weight and allow movement between each vertebra.
Ligaments
The ligaments in your lumbar spine help keep it move and keep it stable. These include:
Spinal Cord
The spinal cord is the bundle of nerve tissue that extends from your brain and runs down your back to the L1 vertebra. The spinal cord is responsible for sending messages between your brain and muscles.
Nerves
Nerves branch off from the right and left sides of the vertebra in your lower back. These nerves control pain signals and movement in your lower limbs. They include:
Blood Vessels
Your lumbar spine also contains blood vessels, which branch from the large abdominal aorta. These blood vessels supply the vertebrae, muscles, and ligaments of your lumbar spine.
The lumbar area of the spine is the physical center of the body.This area is the hub for many basic activities, including balance and the generation of locomotion (walking andrunning, etc.)
Another function of the lumbar spine is to protect lumbar nerve roots.These nerves travel from your spinal cord to your buttocks and legs. The lumbar bones create a canal where the nerves are protected.
The lumbar spine is also an attachment point for muscles. Thelatissimus, the iliopsoas, and theparaspinalsall attach at various points of the lumbar bones, helping to move them.
The lumbar spine helps move the body. Motions of the lumbar spine include:
Manyconditions can cause pain around the lumbar spine. These include:
Symptoms of a lumbar spine problem may include:
If you have any of these symptoms, you should see a healthcare provider right away. They can diagnose your condition and get you the right treatment.
If you have pain or other symptoms in your lower back, your healthcare provider may recommend imaging tests to help diagnose the condition. These may include:
Verywell / Gary Ferster
The best treatment for a lumbar spine condition will vary depending on the condition, its severity, and your overall health. Both surgical and non-surgical options may be considered.
Nonsurgical
Treatment for lumbar spine problems usually involves a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises. These exercises may include:
Working with a chiropractor or physical therapist can help ensure you do the right things for your spine. Your specialist can also show you how to maintain proper posture to help prevent future problems with your lumbar spine.
Most episodes of back pain resolve within a few weeks of onset. You can expect to be back to normal within a month or so. If your symptoms persist, you should check in with your healthcare provider; you may require other treatments such as injections or surgery for your lumbar spine.
Understanding the basic anatomy of the five lumbar bones that make up your low back can help you get the right treatment and care for your back.
Surgical
Some conditions may require surgery. There are a few different types of lumbar spine surgery, including:
How Do I Know if I’m a Candidate for Surgery?It’s usually better to try more conservative therapies before considering surgery. Surgery is typically only considered if other therapies haven’t helped, or if your symptoms are getting worse. You must also be in good health to be a candidate for lumbar spine surgery.
How Do I Know if I’m a Candidate for Surgery?
It’s usually better to try more conservative therapies before considering surgery. Surgery is typically only considered if other therapies haven’t helped, or if your symptoms are getting worse. You must also be in good health to be a candidate for lumbar spine surgery.
Summary
The lumbar spine includes the five vertebrae in your lower back. Muscles, disks, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels also help support your lumbar spine and facilitate movement and stability in your lower back.
Many conditions can cause pain in the lumbar spine, including lumbar stenosis, fracture, degenerative disc disease, and others. Surgical and non-surgical treatments can help reduce pain and improve mobility and function.
21 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.Prather H, Cheng A, Steger-May K, Maheshwari V, Van Dillen L.Hip and lumbar spine physical examination findings in people presenting with low back pain, with or without lower extremity pain.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):163-172. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.6567University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Black AC, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, cervical vertebrae.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, intervertebral discs.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Schneider MJ, Ammendolia C, Murphy DR, et al. Comparative clinical effectiveness of nonsurgical treatment methods in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Netw Open.2019;2(1):e186828. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6828U.S. National Library of Medicine.Spine injuries and disorders.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Vertebral compression fractures.Bailey CS, Rasoulinejad P, Taylor D, et al. Surgery versus conservative care for persistent sciatica lasting 4 to 12 months.N Engl J Med. 2020;382(12):1093-1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912658U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.Silverman LI, Heaton W, Farhang N, et al.Perspectives on the treatment of lumbar disc degeneration: the value proposition for a cell-based therapy, immunomodulatory properties of discogenic cells and the associated clinical evaluation strategy.Front Surg. 2020;7:554382. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2020.554382U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.Shah SG.Effect of seven sessions of posterior- to-anterior spinal mobilisation versus prone press-ups in non-specific low back pain – randomized clinical trial.JCDR. Published online 2016. doi: 10.7860/jcdr/2016/15898.7485Minicozzi SJ, Russell BS, Ray KJ, Struebing AY, Owens EF.Low back pain response to pelvic tilt position: an observational study of chiropractic patients.J Chiropr Med. 2016;15(1):27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.009U.S. National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov.Efficacy comparison of the exercises based on the lumbar extension and flexion in low back pain.Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.Sciatica stretches to heal your pain.Suh JH, Kim H, Jung GP, Ko JY, Ryu JS.The effect of lumbar stabilization and walking exercises on chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.Medicine. 2019;98(26):e16173. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016173Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2018;19(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9Koltsov JCB, Smuck MW, Alamin TF, Wood KB, Cheng I, Hu SS.Preoperative epidural steroid injections are not associated with increased rates of infection and dural tear in lumbar spine surgery.Eur Spine J. 2021;30(4):870-877. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06566-6Additional ReadingPutzer M, Ehrlich I, Rasmussen J, Gebbeken N, Dendorfer S. Sensitivity of lumbar spine loading to anatomical parameters. J Biomech. 2016;49(6):953-958.
21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.Prather H, Cheng A, Steger-May K, Maheshwari V, Van Dillen L.Hip and lumbar spine physical examination findings in people presenting with low back pain, with or without lower extremity pain.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):163-172. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.6567University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Black AC, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, cervical vertebrae.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, intervertebral discs.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Schneider MJ, Ammendolia C, Murphy DR, et al. Comparative clinical effectiveness of nonsurgical treatment methods in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Netw Open.2019;2(1):e186828. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6828U.S. National Library of Medicine.Spine injuries and disorders.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Vertebral compression fractures.Bailey CS, Rasoulinejad P, Taylor D, et al. Surgery versus conservative care for persistent sciatica lasting 4 to 12 months.N Engl J Med. 2020;382(12):1093-1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912658U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.Silverman LI, Heaton W, Farhang N, et al.Perspectives on the treatment of lumbar disc degeneration: the value proposition for a cell-based therapy, immunomodulatory properties of discogenic cells and the associated clinical evaluation strategy.Front Surg. 2020;7:554382. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2020.554382U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.Shah SG.Effect of seven sessions of posterior- to-anterior spinal mobilisation versus prone press-ups in non-specific low back pain – randomized clinical trial.JCDR. Published online 2016. doi: 10.7860/jcdr/2016/15898.7485Minicozzi SJ, Russell BS, Ray KJ, Struebing AY, Owens EF.Low back pain response to pelvic tilt position: an observational study of chiropractic patients.J Chiropr Med. 2016;15(1):27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.009U.S. National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov.Efficacy comparison of the exercises based on the lumbar extension and flexion in low back pain.Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.Sciatica stretches to heal your pain.Suh JH, Kim H, Jung GP, Ko JY, Ryu JS.The effect of lumbar stabilization and walking exercises on chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.Medicine. 2019;98(26):e16173. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016173Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2018;19(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9Koltsov JCB, Smuck MW, Alamin TF, Wood KB, Cheng I, Hu SS.Preoperative epidural steroid injections are not associated with increased rates of infection and dural tear in lumbar spine surgery.Eur Spine J. 2021;30(4):870-877. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06566-6Additional ReadingPutzer M, Ehrlich I, Rasmussen J, Gebbeken N, Dendorfer S. Sensitivity of lumbar spine loading to anatomical parameters. J Biomech. 2016;49(6):953-958.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.Prather H, Cheng A, Steger-May K, Maheshwari V, Van Dillen L.Hip and lumbar spine physical examination findings in people presenting with low back pain, with or without lower extremity pain.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):163-172. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.6567University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Black AC, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, cervical vertebrae.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, intervertebral discs.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Schneider MJ, Ammendolia C, Murphy DR, et al. Comparative clinical effectiveness of nonsurgical treatment methods in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Netw Open.2019;2(1):e186828. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6828U.S. National Library of Medicine.Spine injuries and disorders.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Vertebral compression fractures.Bailey CS, Rasoulinejad P, Taylor D, et al. Surgery versus conservative care for persistent sciatica lasting 4 to 12 months.N Engl J Med. 2020;382(12):1093-1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912658U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.Silverman LI, Heaton W, Farhang N, et al.Perspectives on the treatment of lumbar disc degeneration: the value proposition for a cell-based therapy, immunomodulatory properties of discogenic cells and the associated clinical evaluation strategy.Front Surg. 2020;7:554382. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2020.554382U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.Shah SG.Effect of seven sessions of posterior- to-anterior spinal mobilisation versus prone press-ups in non-specific low back pain – randomized clinical trial.JCDR. Published online 2016. doi: 10.7860/jcdr/2016/15898.7485Minicozzi SJ, Russell BS, Ray KJ, Struebing AY, Owens EF.Low back pain response to pelvic tilt position: an observational study of chiropractic patients.J Chiropr Med. 2016;15(1):27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.009U.S. National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov.Efficacy comparison of the exercises based on the lumbar extension and flexion in low back pain.Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.Sciatica stretches to heal your pain.Suh JH, Kim H, Jung GP, Ko JY, Ryu JS.The effect of lumbar stabilization and walking exercises on chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.Medicine. 2019;98(26):e16173. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016173Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2018;19(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9Koltsov JCB, Smuck MW, Alamin TF, Wood KB, Cheng I, Hu SS.Preoperative epidural steroid injections are not associated with increased rates of infection and dural tear in lumbar spine surgery.Eur Spine J. 2021;30(4):870-877. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06566-6
University of Rochester Medical Center.Anatomy of the spine.
Prather H, Cheng A, Steger-May K, Maheshwari V, Van Dillen L.Hip and lumbar spine physical examination findings in people presenting with low back pain, with or without lower extremity pain.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):163-172. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.6567
Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Black AC, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, cervical vertebrae.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Futterman B.Anatomy, back, intervertebral discs.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Sassack B, Carrier JD.Anatomy, back, lumbar spine.In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Schneider MJ, Ammendolia C, Murphy DR, et al. Comparative clinical effectiveness of nonsurgical treatment methods in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Netw Open.2019;2(1):e186828. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6828
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Spine injuries and disorders.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Vertebral compression fractures.
Bailey CS, Rasoulinejad P, Taylor D, et al. Surgery versus conservative care for persistent sciatica lasting 4 to 12 months.N Engl J Med. 2020;382(12):1093-1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912658
U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Low back pain - acute.
Silverman LI, Heaton W, Farhang N, et al.Perspectives on the treatment of lumbar disc degeneration: the value proposition for a cell-based therapy, immunomodulatory properties of discogenic cells and the associated clinical evaluation strategy.Front Surg. 2020;7:554382. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2020.554382
Shah SG.Effect of seven sessions of posterior- to-anterior spinal mobilisation versus prone press-ups in non-specific low back pain – randomized clinical trial.JCDR. Published online 2016. doi: 10.7860/jcdr/2016/15898.7485
Minicozzi SJ, Russell BS, Ray KJ, Struebing AY, Owens EF.Low back pain response to pelvic tilt position: an observational study of chiropractic patients.J Chiropr Med. 2016;15(1):27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.009
U.S. National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov.Efficacy comparison of the exercises based on the lumbar extension and flexion in low back pain.
Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.Sciatica stretches to heal your pain.
Suh JH, Kim H, Jung GP, Ko JY, Ryu JS.The effect of lumbar stabilization and walking exercises on chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.Medicine. 2019;98(26):e16173. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016173
Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2018;19(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9
Koltsov JCB, Smuck MW, Alamin TF, Wood KB, Cheng I, Hu SS.Preoperative epidural steroid injections are not associated with increased rates of infection and dural tear in lumbar spine surgery.Eur Spine J. 2021;30(4):870-877. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06566-6
Putzer M, Ehrlich I, Rasmussen J, Gebbeken N, Dendorfer S. Sensitivity of lumbar spine loading to anatomical parameters. J Biomech. 2016;49(6):953-958.
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