Keeping Your Spinal Disc Healthy in Vacaville CA

You will hear from most back pain patients that they might have "slipped a disc" in Vacaville CA. The truth is you can't easily slip a disc. Your intervertebral discs are fused to your spine's vertebrae, wherein they provide alignment and support to each bone.

Imagine a thick, spongy jelly doughnut as your intervertebral discs. At the middle is a bundle of protein and loose fibers known as the nucleus pulposus - the "jelly" - and around it is 16 to 20 layers of thick, fibrous bands called the annulus fibrosus.

A Healthy VS. Unhealthy Spinal Disc in Vacaville CA

A healthy disc is thick, comfortable, and flexible. Once they become unhealthy, they can become dehydrated and thin. With this, you are sure to develop chronic back pain from your degenerative disc disease.

The good news is that both disc degeneration and chronic back pain can be prevented. You have control on how healthy you want your intervertebral discs are going to be. To start, you can follow these tips:

1. Stay hydrated - Intervertebral discs love water since they are comprised of 77% of it. Without water, it can lose its spongy nature and would put you at risk for disc degeneration. Make sure to drink adequate amount of water daily to greatly increase your spinal disc health while also reducing dehydrating beverages like coffee, soda, or tea.
2. Exercise regularly - According to studies, a consistent exercise lasting for 50 minutes a day each week can naturally regenerate the cells in intervertebral discs. The reason is that your spinal discs are not getting a good blood supply. When you use your discs through motions, it allows the movement of fluids with important nutrients through them. Since your discs naturally degenerate over time, you must maintain their functionality instead of stagnating and shrinking.
3. Practice proper posture - Your discs are meant to flex with movement, but extended periods of poor posture can make them dehydrate unevenly. There is a study which shows that four hours of flexed posture in a spine can make the fluid of the annulus (the outer fibers) to become dehydrated by 15% while a correct posture only loses 10% of its fluid. In short, sitting properly not only prevents excess fluid loss, but can also improve the flow of nutrients into the disc.
4. Lose weight and stop smoking - These repeated mantras are not only beneficial for a good health, but they can also equally apply to your discs. Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of low back pain which could be due to disc degeneration and spinal instability.
5. Sleep well - The pressure on your discs is relieved when you lay flat on your back. Get an adequate amount of sleep each night to allow your discs maximum time to unload and rehydrate. You can also use a small, rolled towel to provide extra support and maximum comfort for the curve in your lower back.
6. Practice spinal decompression - Even though your discs are benefiting from laying flat on your back while sleeping, they are still experiencing pressure due to gravity and supporting your spine. Spinal decompression is a highly effective method that allows your vertebrae to release your spinal discs from pressure, allowing them to fully hydrate and relax.

If you want to make your back and spinal discs benefit from a good decompression, come visit us at Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville, CA. You can call us at (707) 474-5688 so that we can setup an appointment for you as soon as possible.