To locate the 1st lumbar vertebra, you need to locate the 12th rib. Some people who are stronger and more muscular may need to locate the 11th rib first. The 11th rib is at the very bottom of the lateral chest, and is the one rib where you can palpate the head of the rib cage visibly, mainly due to the fact that the 11th rib cage is relatively long and the head of the rib cage is at the very bottom of the lateral chest of the human body, so it is better to locate it. In some people, the twelfth rib is also relatively long, and the twelfth rib can be palpated just behind and below the eleventh rib. Along the twelfth rib, the twelfth rib can be palpated backward until the thoracic vertebrae are located, and the first lumbar vertebrae can be found 2-3 cm downward. The 1st lumbar vertebrae and the 12th thoracic vertebrae are closely connected and both are in the posterior midline, so this is the fastest way to locate the vertebrae.