Your spine has three natural curves and strong, flexible muscles for support. Soft, cushioning disks separate the hard bones of your spine.

A healthy spine supports the body while letting it move freely. It does this with the help of three natural curves. Strong, flexible muscles help, too. They support the spine by keeping its curves properly aligned.

When your neck’s bones, disks, and muscles are in good condition, they allow you to move your head freely and without pain.

Your neck muscles work with muscles in your shoulders, chest, and back.

No matter what your activity -- even standing or sitting with good posture -- you use your core muscles.

Back pain has many sources. It can originate in the joints, muscles, or ligaments of the back itself or be caused by problems in other parts of the body.

Back pain is a common complaint: Nearly everyone will have low back pain that interferes with work or daily activities at some point in his or her life.

The symptoms in your back or leg may be due to pressure on a nerve. This pressure may be caused by a damaged disk or by abnormal bone growth. Either way, you may feel pain, burning, tingling, or numbness. If you have pressure on a nerve that connects to the sciatic nerve, pain may shoot down your leg.

Most back pain occurs in the lower back because that's the part of the spine that bears the most weight.

The neck is the most flexible part of your spine. However, because it is not well protected by muscles, it's also easy to injure.

Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows and pinches the nerves, resulting in back and leg pain.

Most neck pain is caused by sleeping on a bed that’s too soft, poor posture, stress, neck strains or degenerative joint disease that occurs when the joints of the neck become inflamed or a disc pushes outward from its normal position.

Pinched nerves can occur anywhere a nerve travels. Common areas lie along the nerves running from the shoulders to the hands; throughout the spinal column; from the buttocks down either leg; along the side of the leg; and from the pelvis to the knee.

Your doctor will suggest the best treatment for you based on your age, how much more you are likely to grow, and the size and type of your spinal curve.