Use Good Body Mechanics to Help Keep Your Spine Safe

Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedics

University of California, San Diego

Body mechanics refers to the way we move our body. Posture is an important component in body mechanics. Good posture generally means the spine is in a ‘neutral’ or ‘resting’ position. The four normal curves of the spine are natural. This position is not static (fixed) and is individual. A neutral spine is one in which the position is comfortably maintained by the discs, bones, and ligaments.

spine, lateral, labeled, color drawing

The four curves of the spine are Cervical Lordosis, Thoracic Kyphosis, Lumbar Lordosis and Sacral Kyphosis.

The purpose of this information is to help you minimize injury to your spine. To do this you need to be proactive and learn some basic 'preventive' body activities.

Updated on: 02/01/10