Maintaining a Healthy Spine: Exploring Intervertebral Disc Health

For individuals who are dealing with back pain and problems, could knowing how to improve and maintain intervertebral disc health help alleviate symptoms?

Intervertebral Disc Health

The spinal column comprises 24 movable bones and 33 bones called vertebrae. The vertebral bones are stacked on top of each other. The intervertebral disc is the cushioning substance between the adjacent bones. (Dartmouth. 2008)

Bones

The vertebral bones are small and round in an area called the vertebral body. In the back is a bony ring from which protrusions extend and arches and pathways are formed. Each structure has one or more purposes and includes: (Waxenbaum JA, Reddy V, Williams C, et al., 2023)

• Stabilizing the spine.
• Providing a space for the connective tissue and back muscles to attach.
• Providing a tunnel for the spinal cord to pass through cleanly.
• Providing a space where nerves exit and branch out to all areas of the body.

Structure

The intervertebral disc is the cushioning that sits between the vertebrae. The design of the spine allows it to move in various directions:

• Flexion or bending
• Extension or arching
• Tilting and rotation or twisting.

Powerful forces act upon and influence the spinal column to produce these movements. The intervertebral disc absorbs shock during movement and protects the vertebrae and spinal cord from injury and/or trauma.

Ability

On the outside, strong woven fiber tissues form an area called the annulus fibrosis. The annulus fibrosis contains and protects the softer gel substance in the center, the nucleus pulposus. (Y.S. Nosikova et al., 2012) The nucleus pulposis provides shock absorption, flexibility, and pliability, especially under pressure during spinal movement.

Mechanics

The nucleus pulposus is a soft gel substance located in the center of the disc that allows elasticity and flexibility under stress forces to absorb compression. (Nedresky D, Reddy V, Singh G. 2024) The swivel action alters the tilt and rotation of the vertebra above and below, buffering the effects of spinal motion. The discs swivel in response to the direction the spine moves. The nucleus pulposus is made mostly of water, which moves in and out through small pores, acting as byways between the vertebra and disc bone. Body positions that load the spine, like sitting and standing, push the water out of the disc. Lying down on the back or in a supine position facilitates water restoration into the disc. As the body ages, the discs lose water/dehydrate, leading to disc degeneration. The intervertebral disc has no blood supply, which means that for a disc to receive necessary nutrition and for waste removal, it must rely on water circulation to stay healthy.

Care

Some ways of maintaining intervertebral disc health include:

• Paying attention to posture.
• Changing positions frequently throughout the day.
• Exercising and moving around.
• Applying correct body mechanics to physical activities.
• Sleeping on a supportive mattress.
• Drinking plenty of water.
• Eating healthy.
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Drinking alcohol in moderation.
• Quitting smoking.

At Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic, we treat injuries and chronic pain syndromes by improving an individual’s ability through flexibility, mobility, and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities. Our chiropractic team, care plans, and clinical services are specialized and focused on injuries and the complete recovery process. Our areas of practice include Wellness & Nutrition, Acupuncture, Chronic Pain, Personal Injury, Auto Accident Care, Work Injuries, Back Injury, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Migraine Headaches, Sports Injuries, Severe Sciatica, Scoliosis, Complex Herniated Discs, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Complex Injuries, Stress Management, Functional Medicine Treatments, and in-scope care protocols. If other treatment is needed, individuals will be referred to a clinic or physician best suited to their injury, condition, and/or ailment.

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References

Dartmouth Ronan O’Rahilly, MD. (2008). Basic Human Anatomy. Chapter 39: The vertebral column. In D. Rand Swenson, MD, PhD (Ed.), BASIC HUMAN ANATOMY A Regional Study of Human Structure. W.B. Saunders. humananatomy.host.dartmouth.edu/BHA/public_html/part_7/chapter_39.html

Waxenbaum, J. A., Reddy, V., Williams, C., & Futterman, B. (2024). Anatomy, Back, Lumbar Vertebrae. In StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29083618

Nosikova, Y. S., Santerre, J. P., Grynpas, M., Gibson, G., & Kandel, R. A. (2012). Characterization of the annulus fibrosus-vertebral body interface: identification of new structural features. Journal of anatomy, 221(6), 577–589. doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7580.2012.01537.x

Nedresky D, Reddy V, Singh G. (2024). Anatomy, Back, Nucleus Pulposus. In StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30570994