Understanding the Spine The lumbar spine is designed as a series of cushioning and gaskets. A lot of people incorrectly refer to the disc as a shock absorber, and sometimes they’ll call it a jelly donut, but that’s not really how it works. It’s really a fibrous outside, that’s similar in structure to a Chinese finger trap, that allows for motion with a firm gel on the inside. By having this gel surrounded by this fibrous outside, it allows for…