Run Your Way to a Stronger Spine

Spinal pain is one of the most substantial contributing factors to disability and loss of productivity in developed societies. The pain is typically a result of intervertebral disc degeneration.

What are intervertebral discs?

The spinal column is made up of several blocks of bones stacked on top of each other. In between these blocks are plump, doughnut-shaped, soft cartilage discs; otherwise known as intervertebral discs (IVD).These mini doughnuts have a firm fibrous outer shell that contains a gloopy material inside. At optimal health, these discs protect the spine by cushioning the bones from one and other.

With ongoing wear and tear, these discs can lose a considerable amount of liquid; like a squashed doughnut losing its jam. When the disc becomes herniated, not only can its innards leaks on the nerves and other soft tissue - which is incredibly painful in its own right - but as the discs lose their shape and size, the gaps between the bone decrease. As the discs serve as shock absorbers for the spine, giving it full mobility, the more there is a decrease in the intervertebral discs, the more limitation there is to bend, and twist the back. Not to mention the ongoing pain that comes as a result.

How can we prevent this?

Of course, the straightforward answer is to prevent the degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the first place. Plump, strong doughnuts are the key ingredients to a healthy spine. The simple solution? Exercise.  The belief that a sore back should be kept stationary is outdated. On the contrary, regular movement is absolutely vital to improving our spinal health. One exercise seemingly on constant review on its benefits to back pain is running.

Many argue whether or not the repetitive impact found in running can be a benefit or detrimental to health. We wanted to clear up once and for all whether or not running is a smart idea when facing back pain.

We looked at the findings in a recent study that proves, that actually, running regularly is directly associated with better IVD composition.

Extensive study of the spine is currently quite limited; scientists have been relying on the data from animal examinations. By using the collected IVD cell and IVD tissue data and combining it with what we know about the human spine, we have been able to understand what movements are beneficial to keeping your spine healthy.

The study

We based our findings on a report conducted by Deakin University Faculty of Health, by a medicine, nursing & behavioural sciences human ethics advisory group. They compared the spinal health between three sets of people aged between 25 and 35 years of age without extensive back disease or injury; each of whom had a minimum of 5 years at their current physical levels;

1. Those who participate in zero sport;
2. Joggers who covered distances of 20–40 km per week; and
3. Long-distance runners covering 50+ km per week running.

What we already knew is that no two activities affect our body the same. Different actions create different intra-discal pressures. After multiple ongoing studies, results conclude that people who perform regular upright running activity show better improvements of IVD tissue quality than those who don’t.

From this study, in particular, the significantly noticeable difference was that runners have more hydrated discs than non-runners. Tests also show a higher glycosaminoglycan content and a bigger vertebral body height. When you consider the analogy we used earlier about having plump doughnuts to separate the individual blocks of bone, what these results translate into is that running helps keep the intervertebral disc at optimal levels in comparison those participating in no exercise whose results show signs of degeneration.

In all tests conducted, the long-distance group typically showed considerably better improvements in the intervertebral disc properties when comparing to those non-active participants. However, there are no significant differences between the two running groups. What this tells us, is that it is not essential to start running 60-mile ultramarathons to see a substantial difference. If you want to, by simply donning your trainers and making a few loops of the local park a couple of times a week is enough to see improvement in your spinal health and overall back pain.

If you have a bad back and would like to explore non-operative methods to solve your back or neck pain why don't you consult with Mr George Ampat? Give us a call on 0161 4852476 or 0151 2275800 to book an appointment. Mr Ampat sees patients at Southport, Liverpool, Manchester, and London.