The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerve tissue running through the center of the vertebral column from the brainstem down to the upper lumbar spine, carrying motor and sensory signals between the brain and the rest of the body.
What the spinal cord does and how it relates to back and neck conditions
The spinal cord runs through the spinal canal — the channel formed by the stacked openings in your vertebrae — and serves as the main trunk line for the nervous system. Nerve roots branch off from the spinal cord at each vertebral level, passing through small openings between vertebrae to supply sensation and muscle control to specific regions of the body. In the neck, these roots supply the arms and hands. In the thoracic spine, they wrap around the ribcage. In the lumbar spine, they form the nerves that supply the legs. The spinal cord itself ends at approximately the L1-L2 level, below which the nerve roots continue as the cauda equina — a bundle of individual nerve fibers. Because the spinal cord is enclosed within the vertebral column, any process that narrows the canal — disc herniation, bone spur formation, spinal stenosis, or trauma — can compress the cord or its exiting nerve roots and produce symptoms at a distance.
How Sword Health can help
Most back and neck conditions that affect the spinal cord's environment — including the structures surrounding it — respond well to targeted physical therapy that reduces mechanical pressure and improves spinal support. Sword connects you with a physical therapist who can assess your symptoms, identify what's involved, and guide your care from home.
About the author
Carolina Moreira
Medical Director of Clinical Development at Sword Health
