One bodies slowly start to wear down as we get older, but some structures are more affected by the aging process than others. One area where that notion is true is your spine. Because of all the duties your spine performs on a daily basis and throughout your life, it’s no surprise that aging is a big burden on your back. Today, we take a closer look at five ways aging affects your spine.
Growing Older And Your Spine
Here’s a look at a few things you may notice with your back as you age.
1. Disc Degeneration – Disc degeneration is actually a natural process that occurs are we age. Over the decades our spinal discs shoulder a lot of stress, and eventually they begin to wear down and you’ll lose some disc height. This can lead to pain from inflammation, or it can cause discs to shift out of place, leading to a bulging or herniated disc.
2. Spinal Stenosis – Spinal stenosis is another condition that affects older populations at a greater rate. As your spine wears down, your spinal canal can also narrow or become affected by shifting vertebrae in your spine. When your spinal canal narrows, nerves in the canal can become compressed, which is known as spinal stenosis. This pressure can lead to shooting pain, regular discomfort and mobility issues.
3. Bone Spurs – Another problem that can develop when your discs wear down is the development of bone spurs. This disc degeneration starts a process that leads to the calcification of ligaments in the area, which develop into bone spurs. These bony deposits can cause pain and inflammation with motion. Sometimes they can be alleviated with physical therapy, but other times surgery is needed for full pain relief.
4. Spinal Curvature Issues – When your spinal discs lose height, they also lose stability. This stability helps keep your spine in the normal “S” curve shape, but when that stability is lost your spine can shift. This can cause scoliosis, which gives an individual a severe “hunched over” appearance, or it can shift your spine sideways, which is known as kyphosis.
5. Fractures From Osteoporosis – Our bones also get weaker as we age, leaving people more susceptible to fractures from acute trauma or falls. Spinal osteoporosis weakens the bones and is more common in older populations, which is why a healthy diet and regular exercise is even more important as we get older.