Spinal discs don’t just deteriorate, study shows they can be strengthened – The Australian Financial Review

It used to be thought it would take longer than the average human lifespan for exercise to impact on discs. New evidence shows this is not so.

Victorian researchers have produced evidence that may lead to a shift in commonly held beliefs about back problems and exercise.

To date there has been no evidence in humans that discs in the spine respond positively to exercise.

Now, this study has shown they do respond to certain types of loading and that fast walking or slow running is best for strengthening them.

These discs act as shock absorbers between each of the vertebrae in the spinal column. They also protect nerves that run down the middle of the spine.

That they can be strengthened is an important change in the spinal medicine mindset that regards discs as a "slow tissue", with a metabolism too sluggish to respond to exercise within the human lifespan.

This new research challenges this. It appears in Scientific Reports, published by the prestigious journal group, Nature.

"These findings give us hope that we may be able to prescribe physical activity, or advise the community on physical activity guidelines, to 'strengthen' the discs in the spine," says lead researcher Associate Professor Daniel Belavy from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University.

The findings are particularly important for young people from teenagers to those in their 30s because it may help to reduce or prevent back problems later in life.

Researchers have spent years measuring how discs become damaged and how they deteriorate. This has led to nihilism, with little focus on how discs can be bolstered.

The mindset has been reinforced by research over the past decade showing disc components are replaced extremely slowly.

Many take the view that it would take longer than the average human lifespan to have an impact on discs with interventions such as exercise or drugs.

The new evidence, which measured discs with a highly specialised MRI, shows regular activity helps. Even a walk during a break at work, or taking the stairs, is good for discs and overall back health, says Professor Belavy.

"It is also important to reduce the amount of time spent in static postures, such as sitting or even standing still."

So is walking as good as jogging or running?

"Our findings showed no difference between joggers and long-distance runners and in fact, our findings indicated that walking might be enough," he says.

He anticipates this research will be a starting point to better define exercise protocols for disc strengthening in humans.

To reduce the impact of normal ageing, the study recruited people aged 25 to 35.

It's well known that tissues, such as bone and muscle, adapt to the loads placed upon them and grow stronger.

While it's known some kinds of loading, such as flexion and torsion, are more likely to damage lumbar discs, this is the first study to uncover what can benefit discs overall.

"At this stage the broader potential application is for prevention," says Professor Belavy. "There is no evidence yet but it may be the case that, in future, small amounts of damage could potentially be ameliorated."

His next project, approved by the European Space Agency, involves investigating discs in the necks of astronauts.

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Spinal discs don't just deteriorate, study shows they can be strengthened - The Australian Financial Review