MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA. 1  Back pain - returning to work. 2  Back pain and sports. 3  Compression fractures of the back. 4  Lifting and bending the right way. 5  Lumbosacral spine x-ray. 6  Returning to sports after a back injury. 7  Spinal fusion. 8  Spinal fusion - slideshow. 9  Vertebroplasty - slideshow.
The mucociliary escalator is one of the major defense mechanisms, which protect the lung, and if the mucociliary escalator fails, it increases the risk that the normal and potentially pathogenic, inhabitants of the nose, throat and the back of the mouth, will descend into the lung, resulting in a potentially life-threatening pneumonia ( Anatomy and Physiology, 2013, p. 139).
From mouth to stomach, the food conduit consists of the oral cavity, pharynx, and esophagus. The esophagus serves as a dynamic tube, pushing food toward the stomach, where digestion and absorption can take place. Mucus produced by the esophageal mucosa provides lubrication and eases the passage of food. Active peristaltic contractions propel residual material from the esophagus into the stomach.