What is the cervical spine?

What is the cervical spine?

Your spine (backbone) is the long, flexible column of bones that protects your spinal cord. It begins at the base of your skull and ends in your tailbone at your pelvis. Your cervical spine is the neck region of your spine. It consists of seven bones (C1-C7 vertebrae).

Vertebrae help protect your spinal cord from injury. Between your vertebrae in your spine are round cushions called disks. They have soft, gel-like centers and a firmer outer layer, like a jelly doughnut. These disks provide cushioning for your vertebrae and flexibility for you.

Your spinal cord acts like a highway that connects the nerves located all over your body to your brain so that your brain can send signals and communicate with the rest of your body. A nerve root is the initial segment of a nerve that leaves your spinal cord. It’s the root for the nerves that extend out to other parts of your body. Different nerve roots along your spine extend to different parts of your body.

When a nerve root becomes pinched, it can affect the nerves that are attached to it. This is why a pinched nerve (cervical radiculopathy) in your neck can cause pain that radiates down your arm.