The vertebrae that will paralyze you if broken are the vertebrae in your neck region also known as the cervical region.
Injuries to your upper cervical spine, "C1-C3" are also the most severe in most cases and if injured or broken it can result in quadriplegia or even paralysis of all 4 limbs and also respiratory complications.
And any fractures in your T1-T6 or thoracic or L1 "Lumbar" regions can also result in paralysis of your lower limbs or even paraplegia.
You can also break your back and not know it, at least not immediately.
Some types of fractures when you break your back may not cause any immediate symptoms, but later on the symptoms of the broken back can occur.
Spinal compression fractures are a type of fracture that is often caused by osteoporosis or minor injuries and can develop slowly and initially cause maybe either minimal or no noticeable pain.
The spinal compression fractures can also be mistaken easily for other conditions that are less serious.
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens your bones and makes the bones more susceptible to fractures from minor events, even without any specific injury.
Compression fractures are fractures which occur when your vertebra collapses and is often a result of weakened bone or sudden impacts and can also be painless initially.
The pain that is associated with spinal fractures can also be subtle and easily attributed to muscle strain, general back pain or arthritis.
Some spine fractures, especially spine fractures that are caused by osteoporosis, develop gradually over time and makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact moment of injury.
When you break your back or have a spinal fracture the symptoms are persistent back pain, pain which gets worse with movement, limited range of motion, as well as numbness, tingling and possible loss of bladder or bowel control, which can also indicate nerve damage.
If you think you broke your back or have a spinal fracture it's important that you seek medical attention because if left untreated the spinal fracture or broken back can result in complications like spinal instability, chronic pain and neurological damage.