Spine Anatomy Explained Charlotte NC | Vertebrae, Discs, Joints, Curves | Clear Life Scoliosis

By Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC · Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center, Charlotte, NC · Published November 05, 2026

The typical adult spine has 7 cervical (neck) vertebrae, 12 thoracic (mid back) vertebrae, and 5 lumbar (low back) vertebrae, above the sacrum and coccyx. Between vertebrae sit discs in front and paired facet joints behind. That count is not universal. A 2025 systematic review found lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, where the lowest lumbar and top sacral segments are partly merged or separated, in a mean of 15.3 percent of people, with a range of 4.5 to 35.6 percent, and more often in people with low back pain, disc herniation, and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

I am Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC, at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center in Charlotte, NC. I hold CNMT and ARRT(N)(CT) imaging credentials. Anatomy is the vocabulary of every imaging report, and this post explains it in the terms patients will see.

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The Regions

The cervical spine supports and moves the head. The thoracic spine connects to the ribs and is the least mobile region. The lumbar spine carries the most load and allows bending. The sacrum joins the pelvis at the sacroiliac joints, and the coccyx is the tailbone. These are standard anatomical descriptions.

The Motion Segment

A motion segment is two vertebrae and everything between them: the disc in front and two facet joints behind, plus ligaments. Imaging reports name a level by its two vertebrae, such as L4-L5. The disc absorbs load and allows motion; the facets guide motion. My posts on disc bulge, protrusion, and extrusion and on facet arthritis explain what happens when these structures age.

The Nerves

The spinal cord runs through the canal, and nerve roots leave through openings between vertebrae called foramina. Narrowing of the canal is central stenosis; narrowing of a foramen is foraminal stenosis. A nerve root problem causes symptoms in that root's territory. My post on pinched nerve vs herniated disc covers the patterns.

The Curves

From the side, the neck and low back curve forward (lordosis) and the mid back curves backward (kyphosis). From the front, the spine should be straight; a sideways curve of 10° or more is scoliosis. Bernhardt and Bridwell measured 102 normal spines and found a wide range of normal side-view alignment, with the thoracolumbar junction nearly straight and lumbar lordosis concentrated in the lowest segments.

Why Counting Levels Can Vary

When a transitional vertebra is present, one radiologist may call the lowest mobile segment L5 and another may call it S1. Shaikh and colleagues found transitional vertebrae in 15 percent of 504 patients with low back pain and found the iliolumbar ligament, sometimes used to identify L5, was unreliable in those patients. Fang and colleagues note that transitional vertebrae raise the risk of wrong-level surgery and screw misplacement. If two reports name different levels for the same finding, numbering is often the reason.

How Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC Uses Anatomy at Clear Life

At our Charlotte office, imaging review starts by confirming the vertebral count from the top, checking for transitional segments, and only then naming levels. Patients receive an explanation of their own anatomy in plain terms. Our about scoliosis page covers the curve side.

Comparison

Research and Evidence

Evidence tiering: the regional counts and structures are standard anatomy. Fang is a systematic review with a narrative synthesis, Shaikh a cross-sectional imaging study, Bernhardt a radiographic study of normal spines.

My own published work applies this anatomy to alignment. The cervical mechanics study, A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis of Abnormal Cervical Mechanics in Patients With Scoliosis (Cureus, 2025, PMID 41018459), analyzed neck alignment in scoliosis patients.

References

1. Fang H, Wang J, Kiwale JC, et al. Prevalence, diagnosis, and clinical significance of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae: a systematic review and narrative analysis. Brain Spine. 2025;5:105628. doi:10.1016/j.bas.2025.105628
2. Shaikh A, Khan SA, Hussain M, et al. Prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra in individuals with low back pain: evaluation using plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Asian Spine J. 2017;11(6):892-897. doi:10.4184/asj.2017.11.6.892
3. Bernhardt M, Bridwell KH. Segmental analysis of the sagittal plane alignment of the normal thoracic and lumbar spines and thoracolumbar junction. Spine. 1989;14(7):717-21. doi:10.1097/00007632-198907000-00012
4. Dick JM. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of abnormal cervical mechanics in patients with scoliosis. Cureus. 2025;17(8):e91098. doi:10.7759/cureus.91098

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Service Area

Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center sees patients from Charlotte NC, Huntersville NC, Ballantyne NC, Matthews NC, Concord NC, Mooresville NC, Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC. Families from across the Charlotte region and the South Carolina border communities come to the Rachel Freeman Way office for radiographic scoliosis evaluation with Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC.

Related Pages

• About Scoliosis
• Sagittal Alignment
• Disc Bulge, Protrusion, Extrusion
• How to Read a Spine MRI Report
• Pinched Nerve vs Herniated Disc
• Cobb Angle Measurement
• Scoliosis Imaging and Measurement
• Radiographic Imaging Credentials
• Types of Scoliosis
• Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC Research

Schedule an Evaluation in Charlotte

If your imaging report reads like a foreign language, Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC will walk you through your own anatomy at our Charlotte office.

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