From Amanda's very early writing (1990s to early 2000s), shared as it was originally written.
why we grow shorter with age
Have you ever wondered why we seem to grow shorter with age? Two world recognized physiotherapists have recently published the results of their latest research and the findings give us the reasons for 'age related
'Course you probably thought we got smaller because we ate less; or because we washed ourselves too often - in hot water and we shrank; or because our insides were being slowly sucked out by some myterious life draining force! Ha, ha just kidding folks.
Up till now, we used to think that we grew smaller because our discs (the 'cushions' that act like air bags between our vertebral bodies - bones) degenerated and became thinner. In fact the major reason we grow shorter is that lines of stress in the individual back bones weaken without exercise , so they slowly crush.s between our vertebral bodies or back - there are 26WITHOUT EXERCISE are ed shorter than yoru two year old grandchild
I hear you groaning 'oh no, not excercise again!" but you need to know this if you don't want to end up standing on a milk crate to look your grandchild in the eye.
You see, each bone in your back has a mass of microscopic lines called trabeculae and these lines absorb stress. They are strengthened by exercise - of any sort. As we grow older, and exercise less, these trabeculae fail to absorb the normal strain of body weight (let alone other forces) and the bones slowly collapse. As they collapse, we shrink.
In the past, we thought the main reason for shrinkage was hormonal- you know, osteoporosis occurs mostly in females so naturally it was hormonal! However, the truth is we all shrink and the age relatedchanges are different between men and women. And this research article says that the main reason they found in a representative sample of a normal ppopulation (flash scientific language meaning people like us)causefor height loss, esentative sample of a normal p was 'mechanical'. (this means lack of exercise)84 Australianmysteriousshorter microscopic parts bones
exerciseso you have the option of staying the same height you were as a grown up or ing6 year old E are strengthened by physical forces that go through them and as theythis physical , they grow stronger - like moving , sitting, walking or livingrelated changesslightly
Interestingly, most people assume that discs (you know , the old 'slipped disc') cause the majority of back problems. According to their research, most people from a normal population (that is ones who haven't had a major back injury in life; or who have avoided mega car crashes) have pretty normal discs. So that leaves vertebral body thinning as the main reason most people shrink as they age. And the reason they thin is because the trabeculae weaken and crumble, which then allows normal body forces to collapse the vertebral bones. Apart from all the other benefits of regular, reasonable exercise , it can keep you tall as you grow old.
But wait, there's more! The whole purpose of our vertebral column (back bone) is a) to keep us upright and b)to protect the spinal cord (the big bunch of nerves that runs from our brain and controls movement and feeling through our entire body). The bones actually form a canal (or circle) in which the spinal cord is bathed with it's own special type of 'blood' and protected. By the time we are 12 years old, this canal is in optimum condition and shape.
Unfortunately, as we age the changes that occur with slob like lifestyles and lots of sitting cause changes that make the spinal canal smaller. The technical term for this is spinal stenosis. And it means that it' s much more likely that pain we feel in our backs and legs as we age is coming from the spinal cord being strangled. Slowly. It also means the nerves which run out of the central cord and run into your legs,arms etc can be 'trapped' on the way out.
So, put simply, the less exercise you do, the shorter you get, the more likely it is to have squashed nerves.
And there's more! Our discs may not thin but they do stiffen up. Which makes our range of movement less - so we feel stiffer. And surprise! Guess what makes the disc and us more flexible? Yes folks, exercise!
We also become more 'creepy' as our spines age. Whenever we carry loads over a distance, or we stay in an extreme position (technical jargon for 'bent fully over' or in an awkward strong movement) the spine is gradually deformed (techo word for squeezed). This is called 'creep'. In fact, any sustained pressure or loading on the spine that is not strong enough to cause damage, will cause 'creep'.
That's why we are usually about 2 cm taller in the morning after being horizontal for a few hours and away from the forces of gravity. During the day, depending on our activities and postures and work positions, we squeeze fluid out of tissues (creep) and grow shorter. It's worse when we are older. ANdit takes longer to recover when we are older. If we keep up these lousy, squashing positions for too long, the damage is much greater and more permanent. So it's really important to be aware of the positions we hold our spine in and frequently reverse that position to stop creep.
Warning: if you lay bricks, shear sheep, or work in a bent posture for long times, stop it! At least every 30 minutes, straighten up and stretch backwards to undo some of the damage you have just done by being in a prolonged bent position.
The final conclusion of the physiotherapists article? Young spines are anatomically very different from old spines and should be treated differently. Both by professional 'treaters' and by yourself. And young spines can stay young a lot longer if they are exercised, regularly stretched and taken care of.
Did I say "I told you so"?!
