DOES STRETCHING YOUR SPINE MAKE YOU TALLER ?

Your spine is a marvel of biological engineering, but it is also one of the most compressed parts of your body.

To understand how to improve your spine health while  maximizing your height, we must first look at the three primary components that make up your spine:

1. Vertebrae – The series of bones that make up the structural  scaffolding  of your back.

2.Nerves – The intricate system of communication cables that run through the spinal canal.

3.Discs – Spongy material that lies between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column allowing the nerves to run between each bone segment.

They also act as shock absorbers and allow the spine to flex.

Almost every one can benefit from stretching the soft tissues – the muscles, ligaments and tendons – in and  around the spinal cord.

The vertebral column usually consists of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx separated by Inter vertebral discs (or inter vertebral fibro cartilage) which lay between adjacent vertebrae in the spine.

The disc joints between vertebrae also make it possible for the spine to be moderately adjusted.

The Inter-vertebral discs:

~ Inter vertebral discs are cushions that function as shock absorbers to the back bone and they are fibro cartilaginous ( they contain fibrous bundles of collagen) in nature.

Anatomy of the discs:

A healthy disc consists of two main parts:

Annulus Fibrosus:  A tough, thick outer ring of fibrous cartilage.

Nucleus Pulposus:  A gelatinous, jelly-like core that provides the “bounce” and flexibility.

Cartilage End-plates:  These  sandwich  the nucleus above and below, acting as the gateway for nutrients.

The Mechanical Role of discs:

Discs are not static; they are constantly transmitting loads from your body weight and muscle activity through the spinal column.

~ They also provide flexibility to allow bending and twisting or wrenching.

What is the spinal disc contribution to torso height?

~ Collectively, the discs account for approximately between one third and one quarter of the total spinal column length ( approx. 25% to 33% of your total spinal length) . 

~ There are approximately 23 discs in the spine; 6 in cervical, 12 in thoracic, and 5 in the lumbar region.

~ The discs in the lumbar region of the spine are approximately 7-10 mm thick.

~ Just like other cartilages, the intervertebral discs have no blood supply.

~ They are large and avascular and the cells depend on blood vessels at their margins (cartilaginous endplate) to supply nutrients by a process called osmosis. [1]

~ The nutrient supply to the nucleus cells can be disturbed at several points.

Factors that affect the blood supply to the vertebral body may significantly increase the rate at which discs degenerate.

Inter-vertebral discs Degenerate and reduce in height as we age

~ Discs degenerate far earlier than any other musculoskeletal tissues.

~ When Nobert Boos and colleagues comprehensively studied how and when spinal discs change in structure, they noticed that discs continuously degenerate and transform as we age.

They noted that at as early as 2 years in children, a slight opening or cleft forms on the disc and the nucleus begins transforming.  [2]

How discs degenerate:

~ As we grow older, degenerative changes on the disc take their toll.

Disc cells die, the mucous reduces, and the outer disc layer tears.

~ The first obvious signs of disc degeneration are noted among children aged between 11 and 16 years.

~ About 20% of teenagers have mild signs of disc degeneration and by age 50, 10% of mainly male population have severely damaged discs.

By age 70, the rate rises to 60%.

~ Disc degeneration is partly a result of the nucleus pulposus dehydrating thus limiting the ability of the disc to absorb shock.

This general shrinking of disc size is in part the reason why humans become slightly shorter as they age.

The severity of disc degeneration

~ Among children aged below 10 years, the boundary that separates the outer disc ring  (the annulus fibrosus ) from the nucleus is clearly seen.

~As we age,  the boundary between annulus and nucleus becomes less obvious, and the nucleus generally becomes more thick, stiff and  less gel-like.

~With increasing age and degeneration, the disc structure completely changes and becomes more disorganized.

The Loss of Proteoglycans:

~ The most significant biochemical change to occur when a disc degenerates is loss of proteoglycan.

Proteoglycans are  proteins with glycosaminoglycan component of the molecule, which offers hydration and swelling pressure to the tissue enabling it to withstand compressional forces.

degenerated discs have  lower water content than do normal age-matched discs hence, they lose height and fluid pretty fast when loaded.

~ Without proteoglycan and with disc matrix disorganization, when a load is applied on the discs, the stress is transferred to the end plate or along the outer ring.

How Stretching can Improve disc health and contribute to height increase in torso.

While spinal disc degeneration is natural, it is not inevitable.

Regular spinal  distraction  (creating space between vertebrae with stretching) can actually reverse some of these effects.

1. Promoting Nutrient Diffusion

Lack of nutrient supply to spinal disc cells is believed to be one of the principle contributors to disc degeneration.

spinal disc cells require nutrients such as glucose and oxygen to remain alive and active.

First of all, back movement generally promotes the delivery of nutrients to the spine, thereby maintaining the health of the discs, muscles, ligaments, and joints.

Thus, although speculative, it’s possible that the various positions held by the spine during the stretching sessions retard disc degeneration by increasing the ability of nutrients to diffuse into the disc thereby maintaining and or improving the spine thickness.

2. Stimulates the synthesis of growth factors

The stretching and positioning of the spine that occur during yoga exercises is believed to decrease the gradual disc degeneration that occurs with age .

This is because it’s suggested that the constant tension and compression of the disc during stretching exercises stimulates the synthesis of growth factors by the fibrocytes and chondrocytes residing in the disc and prevents their degeneration.[3]

3. The impact of distraction.

When a study that aimed to investigate the impact of distraction (a type of mobility technique that we can incorporate into our stretching exercises in order to create more ‘space’ inside the joint complex) on spinal disc regeneration was conducted, the following was observed ;

~ 28 days of compression in rabbit disc caused degeneration via MRI study.

~ 28 days of distraction/ stretching regenerated the disc.

~ Distraction/ stretching results in disc rehydration, stimulates extracellular matrix gene expression, and increases numbers of cells.

stretching the spine regularly can therefore control disc degeneration, and improve disc nutrition.

How much height can you actually reclaim from stretching?

According to research from the Scoliosis Institute, Degenerative Disc Disease   alone typically accounts for a loss of about 1–2 inches over a person’s lifetime.

However, most people are actually 1–3 inches (or even more) shorter than their maximum potential height.

This is because height loss is rarely just about the discs shrinking;

it is a combination of disc dehydration, postural slumping, and the tightening of the soft tissues surrounding the spine.

With approximately 23 discs, by  focusing on improved disc nutrition and regular spinal decompression, you aren’t just  growing ,you are reclaiming the aggregate height (often totaling 3–5 inches) that gravity and age have stolen from your torso.

To begin your journey toward reclaiming your maximum potential torso height, start by implementing the stretches on how to make the torso longer  article.

Factors that contribute to rapid spinal disc degeneration

to protect your spine, you must be aware of the  accelerators  that cause discs to fail prematurely.

1. Genetic factors

Recent research and  mounting evidence indicates that genetic factors account for up to 75% of individual vulnerability to intervertebral disc degeneration  as well as herniation far greater than the previously suspected environmental factors like smoking.

How do  genetic factors contribute to disc health?

Since 1998, genetic influences have been confirmed by the identification of several genes forms associated with disc degeneration.

Back in 1991, G P Varlotta and colleagues  established that 32% of adolescent patients with disc herniation had a family history of that lesion and that  the relative risk of development of herniation of a lumbar disc before the age of twenty-one years is estimated to be approximately five times greater in patients with a positive family history.

2. smoking

Chronic cigarette smokers have an increased risk of low back pain which may be caused by disc degeneration.

In particular, it has been shown that nicotine curtails the regulation of  both the proliferation rate of   disc cells and manufacture of  glycosaminoglycan.

studies on a porcine animal model showed that, after severe smoking, the capillaries surrounding the intervertebral discs greatly constrict and both the glucose and oxygen levels  in the nucleus pulpous sharply decline.

Since disc malnutrition is considered to be the principle cause of disc degeneration, and smoking is responsible for curtailing disc nutrient supply, smoking is strongly linked to intervertebral disc degeneration.

3. Overhead weight lifting and back weights.

An in vivo ( performed inside organism) mouse model study that aimed to asses the compression – induced degeneration of intervertebral discs showed that after mouse tail discs were loaded  with an external compression device for one week, with increasing compressive stress, the inner and middle annulus gradually changed morphology and more intervertebral disc cells underwent  apoptosis (cell death).

Static compressive stress that exceeds the disc’s swelling pressure changes hydration and stress distribution within spinal discs.

The risk of extremely heavy back loads

Though discs respond to some long-term loading regimens by increasing proteoglycan content, disc overloading like extremely heavy back loads can initiate  a pathway that leads to disc degeneration.

This immense pressure on the back bone may cause lower back pain and over time lead to
spinal disc herniation.

Spinal disc herniation explained:

Spinal disc herniation is when the outer ring of the disc breaks, giving way for the soft tissue of the inner disc.

In vitro ( performed outside organism) experimental tests show that in healthy discs, disc herniation is initiated by forces greater than those normally encountered by the discs leading to failure by the vertebral body rather than the disc itself.

This may be a result of injuries due to heavy lifting or other unknown reasons.

4. Obesity or excess weight in the trunk

Obesity is strongly linked to biomechanical changes that damage the spine particularly due to fat accumulation in the trunk of the body.

This affects the health of intervertebral discs leading to  intervertebral disc degeneration, reduction of disc height, herniation of the disc and increased compression forces on disc surfaces.

5. Heavy physical work (occupational loading)

There’s a link between Lumbar disc degeneration and  heavy load lifting.

Some individuals who experience degenerative changes in the discs may experience low back pain symptoms.

What studies show:

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2000 alone,11 to 13 million people developed lower back pain.

And in 2001, 65% of all reported cases of low back injuries were caused by loading the spine beyond it’s limit, whereas 60% occurred during lifting.

When a cross section study that included workers  who load and unload fruit boxes almost every day at the San Chung fruit and vegetable wholesale Market in Taiwan and the walk-in clinic patients nurses at the Internal Medicine Clinic of the National Taiwan University Hospital was conducted , it was established that with increasing lifting load, there was an increased risk for disc bulging compared with low lifting load.

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between lifetime cumulative lifting load and lumbar disc degeneration.

When a person performs a lifting task, the compression load on the spinal disk is increased.

However, there are inconsistencies in findings regarding the relationship between occupational loading and spinal disc degeneration or structural damage.

Out of the 10 studies evaluated, 2 did not identify a relationship between occupation loading and disc degeneration, 1 study found more degeneration in those with less load.

7 studies identified some significant difference between loading groups with more load being associated with more degeneration.

Thus, it’s generally acknowledged that  there is moderate grade evidence of an association between occupational loading and disc degeneration.

6. Health conditions

These include;

a. Atherosclerosis

b. Sickle cell anemia

c. Caisson disease

d. Gaucher’s disease 

 Final Thoughts:

Maintaining and increasing  your torso height isn’t just about  looking taller ;

It’s about the health of the system that protects your central nervous system.

Through regular stretching and avoiding the stressors mentioned above, you can restore lost height and ensure your spine remains a flexible, resilient shock absorber for life.

You may also like: [ The Grow Taller After Puberty  Exercise routine to follow » ]

References & Further Reading

1. Nutrition of the Intervertebral Disc (1970) |

2. Height Loss from Degenerative Disc Disease |

3. Family History and Disc Herniation (1991) |

4. Research on Spinal Morphology |

5. Degenerative Disc Disease Overview |

6. Impact of Slouched Sitting on Spinal Height (2016) |

7. Sustained Extension and Spinal Growth (2014) |

8. Evidence-Based Disc Rejuvenation (2019) |

9. Degenerative Disc Disease Overview |

10. Impact of Slouched Sitting on Spinal Height (2016) |

11. Sustained Extension and Spinal Growth (2014) |

12. Evidence-Based Disc Rejuvenation (2019) |

Important Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor. This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you are concerned about your growth or development, please consult a pediatric endocrinologist or a qualified medical professional.

AUTHOR BIO

Dennis Raney (B.Sc.) is an author and a blogger specializing in natural body growth optimization   strategies.

After years of navigating the psychological and physical challenges of being under-average height, Dennis dedicated over a decade to researching the intersection of lifestyle, nutrition, and body growth.

By applying an evidence-based approach to healthy lifestyle changes, he successfully navigated his own body transformation, an experience that led him to author his comprehensive guide on height increase during and after puberty.

Today, he shares his wealth of fact based insights through his book and blog to help others overcome similar adversities.

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Interested in connecting? :

✉️ Send an email: Dennis »»

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