This article was originally published on mentalfloss.com as 13 Facts About the Spinal Cord.

The spinal cord is a cylindrical tube of nerves and other cells. ... It does this through the nerves that connect your brain to other specific body parts. These nerve signals have three main roles.

Spinal stenosis: A condition in which your spinal canal narrows, causing back pain & other nerve-related problems. With proper exercise and treatment, you can reduce its effects.

The Arthritis Foundation states that 31 pairs of nerves branch off the spinal cord to other parts of the body. The spinal cord transmits signals from the brain to the rest of a person’s body.

Nerve cells are part of the nervous system, and they carry messages to the brain from all over the body. If a spinal nerve gets compressed, a pain signal is sent to the brain.

Many species, including humans, have vestigial organs that are thought to be useless. But this specific structure might actually be doing more than you know.

Spinal nerves are part of your peripheral nervous system (PNS). Your PNS works to connect the rest of your body with your CNS, which is made up of your brain and spinal cord.

A pinched nerve in your back is most often caused by either disk herniation or spinal stenosis.. Herniated Disk: A herniated or “slipped” disk is when a portion of the disk bulges out, usually ...

Doctors can use two procedures to perform surgical spinal decompression, also called spinal decompression. Surgeons can use microdiscectomy or laminectomy. Both procedures remove pressure from the ...

These nerves are part of your peripheral nervous system. They carry information in the form of nerve impulses from your spinal cord to the rest of your body and from your body to your spinal cord.

Nerves in each spinal cord region carry signals to and from different body parts. That means the outcome of an injury depends on its location, with lower injuries affecting less of the body ...

As a result, bones or other parts of the spine start pressing on your spinal cord and other nerves. Although some people don’t experience symptoms, those who do may have pain, numbness, muscle ...