Our spinal cords role in the body
Anatomy of spinal discs
Discs are cushions of cartilage that separate any two vertebrae. They are very tough yet flexible structures. They act as shock absorbers getting compressed when weight is put upon the spine and springing back to their original shape when the weight is taken away. This dampens the force which comes from your feet when you walk or run so that it does not go to the brain to cause damage. It is because of these elastic discs that you are able to bend your spine in many directions.
The disc absorbs water and becomes taut and packs the joint to act as a wedge between the vertebrae. When discs are fully hydrated with water and firm, they are effective wedges, particularly in the lumbar region reducing the demand on the back muscles. If the discs are not fully hydrated and their wedge quality is poor, it becomes the increasing responsibility of the back muscles to keep the body upright.
During the day when you are upright and moving, the force of your weight in motion will force water out of your discs of the person into the vertebrae above and below. This release can cause shrinkage in height of the person of about one and half to two centimeters during 2 hours. During the night, while you sleep, the discs absorb water from its surrounding. Disc has no blood vessels and nerves of its own. There must be enough free water in the region for it to be able to rehydrate itself. Hence the importance of more water intake for those who have a tendency of low back pain. Bed rest recommended in treatment of disc problems prevents shrinkage of discs and allows full rehydration of the discs. Incidentally in the case of astronauts traveling in space their height can increase as much as two inches.
The disc is composed of an outer fibrous material called annulus fibrous. It is an inner pulpy substance called pulposus. It is the property and function of the pulpy substance of the disc to absorb or give up its water. The fibrous part firmly fixes the disc to bony edges of the vertebrae.
Discs are cushions of cartilage that separate any two vertebrae. They are very tough yet flexible structures. They act as shock absorbers getting compressed when weight is put upon the spine and springing back to their original shape when the weight is taken away. This dampens the force which comes from your feet when you walk or run so that it does not go to the brain to cause damage. It is because of these elastic discs that you are able to bend your spine in many directions.
The disc absorbs water and becomes taut and packs the joint to act as a wedge between the vertebrae. When discs are fully hydrated with water and firm, they are effective wedges, particularly in the lumbar region reducing the demand on the back muscles. If the discs are not fully hydrated and their wedge quality is poor, it becomes the increasing responsibility of the back muscles to keep the body upright.
During the day when you are upright and moving, the force of your weight in motion will force water out of your discs of the person into the vertebrae above and below. This release can cause shrinkage in height of the person of about one and half to two centimeters during 2 hours. During the night, while you sleep, the discs absorb water from its surrounding. Disc has no blood vessels and nerves of its own. There must be enough free water in the region for it to be able to rehydrate itself. Hence the importance of more water intake for those who have a tendency of low back pain. Bed rest recommended in treatment of disc problems prevents shrinkage of discs and allows full rehydration of the discs. Incidentally in the case of astronauts traveling in space their height can increase as much as two inches.
The disc is composed of an outer fibrous material called annulus fibrous. It is an inner pulpy substance called pulposus. It is the property and function of the pulpy substance of the disc to absorb or give up its water. The fibrous part firmly fixes the disc to bony edges of the vertebrae.
posted by Girish at
7:27 AM
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