Comparison table of chest disc with other neck and back discs **What is the thoracic disc?** The thoracic disc or back disc is one of the three types of intervertebral disc in the spine, which is located in the chest area (between the T1 to T12 vertebrae). Unlike the neck and back, this part is less prone to herniation or damage. Because it is less mobile and is protected by the ribs. The spine consists of three main parts: - chest - waist - Cervix It has been found that getting to know each of these things will help you to correctly diagnose and treat any problems in these parts.... You will learn more about each of these discs in the following... Thoracic discs are located in the center of the spine, exactly in the chest area.... These *12 intervertebral discs play a very important role that protects the intervertebral discs.. Body balance and allows limited but firm movement.... Connection This area creates a strong structure for the spine to the cervical vertebrae above and the lumbar vertebrae below.... The middle part of the spine is stronger than the upper and lower parts due to the presence of ribs and chest bones. For this reason, unlike the lumbar and neck discs, the thoracic discs are less prone to damage and protrusion. By limiting the movements of this part of the body, the chest and ribs put less pressure on the thoracic discs. As a result, problems such as herniation are possible. The disk in this area is less but if there is a problem in this area, people may experience severe pain in the chest and even shortness of breath... *— Dr.. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine and Rehabilitation Medicine:* > "The thoracic disc is one of the least mobile but most complex parts of the spine; damage to this area may be detected late, but its effects can spread to the entire nervous system and even internal organs." ### Getting to know the lumbar disc The lumbar disc is located in the lower part of the spine and is one of the most common places where disc problems occur.. The lumbar region consists of 5 vertebrae that are located at the lowest part of the spine and a lot of pressure is applied to it.. Lifting heavy objects is one of the factors that can increase the risk of lumbar disc and sciatica pain... ### Getting to know the cervical disc Compared to other regions of the spine, the neck region has very high flexibility and mobility.... This feature, while allowing us to move our head in different directions, causes the cervical discs to be more exposed to pressure and wear and more prone to damage and herniation than other regions of the spine... Improper body position and doing daily tasks in front of the disc causes incorrect use of the disc. put a lot of pressure on the cervical discs and lead to their damage and herniation.... These problems can cause severe pain in the neck, shoulders and arms and even chronic headaches.... What is the difference between a thoracic disc and a lumbar disc?... There are significant differences between the thoracic and lumbar discs in the following cases: - Fig - thickness - Stability - Location - damage In the following, we will explain each of these differences in more detail... ### Fig In terms of shape, the thoracic discs are rounder and the lumbar discs are oval and flatter on the back.... This difference in shape has a direct effect on the distribution of pressure and movement in these two parts of the spine... The thickness of the discs is also another difference.. The thoracic discs are generally thinner than the lumbar discs.. ### Sustainability Another important difference between these two types of discs is their stability... Thoracic discs are more stable because they are supported and stabilized by the chest and are less affected by sudden movements.. While lumbar discs are less stable due to the lack of this support and the need for more mobility... The location of the discs is also different. Thoracic discs are located in the middle of the back and attach to the ribcage, while lumbar discs are located in the lower back and are under more pressure due to their position. Because the thoracic discs are supported by the ribs and ribcage, they are less prone to prolapse and damage, and problems rarely develop in this area. On the other hand, the lumbar disc is prone to damage and protrusion due to greater load bearing and greater flexibility. How is the thoracic disc different from the cervical disc? Cervical discs are located in the neck and upper part of the spine. In terms of shape, thoracic discs are rounder and cervical discs are more oval. This difference in shape is due to the different movement needs of these two parts of the spine. Cervical discs must have high flexibility in order to support various movements of the head and neck. For this reason, these discs are usually thicker and have a more complex structure than thoracic discs. Thoracic discs are much rarer than neck and lumbar discs, and according to data published in the *American Journal of Neuroradiology*, only about *1 to 2%* of all disc herniation cases are related to the thoracic region. While more than *90%* of hernias occur in the lower back (about *60%) and neck (about *30%)... this major difference is due to greater structural stability in the thoracic region and limited movement of the thoracic vertebrae compared to other areas. **Comprehensive comparison of thoracic disc with neck and back disc** Spinal discs have different characteristics in different areas of the body. Thoracic discs are stable and thin in the chest and suffer less damage due to the support of the ribs. Cervical discs in the neck are flexible and thick to allow complex movements.