UPPER BACK AND NECK

Knowing the main parts of your neck and how these parts work is important as you learn to care for your neck problem.

Two common anatomic terms are useful as they relate to the neck. The term anterior refers to the front of the neck. The term posterior refers to the back of the neck. The part of the spine that moves through the neck is called the cervical spine. The front of the neck is therefore called the anterior cervical area. The back of the neck is called the posterior cervical area.

This guide gives a general overview of the anatomy of the neck. It should help you understand:

• what parts make up the neck
• how these parts work

• bones and joints:The human spine is made up of 24 spinal bones, called vertebrae. Vertebrae are stacked on top of one another to form the spinal column. The spinal column is the body's main upright support.
• nerves:The hollow tube formed by the bony ring on the back of the spinal column surrounds the spinal cord as it passes through the spine. The spinal cord is a similar to a long wire made up of millions of nerve fibers. Just as the skull protects the brain, the bones of the spinal column protect the spinal cord.
• connective tissues:Ligaments are strong connective tissues that attach bones to other bones. (Connective tissues are networks of fiber that hold the cells of the body together.) Several long ligaments connect on the front and back sections of the vertebrae.
• muscles:The anterior cervical area is covered with muscles that run from the rib cage and collar bone to the cervical vertebrae, jaw, and skull. The posterior cervical muscles cover the bones along the back of the spine and make up the bulk of the tissues on the back of the neck.
• spinal segments:A good way to understand the anatomy of the cervical spine is by looking at a spinal segment. Each spinal segment includes two vertebrae separated by an intervertebral disc, the nerves that leave the spinal cord at each vertebra, and the small facet joints that link each level of the spinal column