Your Spinal Discs: Mechanics, Movement, and How to Protect Them

Posted: July 28th, 2021

The spinal discs play a critical role in your back, acting as shock absorbers and spacers between your vertebrae. Understanding how they function—and how best to support them—is key to maintaining healthy spinal movement and avoiding discomfort.

At Falcon Chiropractic in Harrogate, we focus on restoring optimal movement to your spine to help support the health of these vital structures.

1. The Mechanics of Movement: Minimising Strain

Many people experience discomfort or strain during movements that combine forward bending and twisting. While your spine is designed for movement, combining these two actions under load can create unusual forces on the discs.

Actionable Tip: When lifting anything from the ground, always aim to face the object directly and engage your legs, rather than twisting your torso while bent forward. This simple change helps distribute the load safely across your entire core and spine.

2. Posture and Pressure: How You Sit Matters

Did you know that prolonged sitting can increase the pressure placed on your spinal discs compared to standing? Poor sitting posture can contribute to general backache and stiffness.

Research Insight: To help minimize the strain on your lower back while seated, research suggests adjusting your backrest to a slightly reclined position (around 110–120 degrees) and using adequate support (like a small cushion) behind the curve of your lower back.

Compliance Note: We recommend taking regular breaks from sitting to move and stretch your body. Movement is essential for spinal health.

3. Strength and Resilience: The Disc’s Amazing Design

Your spinal discs are incredibly strong structures, designed to handle significant force and compression. They are often more resilient to compression than the vertebral bones that surround them.

However, discs are complex structures that contain a high water content (around 70–90% when healthy). To help maintain their structure and shock-absorbing capacity:

Stay Hydrated: Ensure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Encourage Movement: Gentle, regular movement like walking helps to nourish your discs and joints by promoting fluid exchange. Avoiding prolonged static postures is crucial.

4. Lifting Smarter: Slow vs. Sudden Loads

Your body is better at handling stress when it has time to prepare. Sudden, heavy loads often carry a higher risk of strain compared to slow, gradual increases in load.

Best Practice: Always warm up before engaging in heavy lifting. When handling any object, keep it as close to your body as possible to minimise the leverage and reduce the load placed on your lower back.

Summary Pointers for Spinal Health:

Prioritise Movement: Regular gentle walking helps nourish your spinal discs.

Lift Smart: Avoid combining bending forward with twisting, especially under load.

Optimise Sitting: Aim for a slightly reclined position with lower back support during long periods of sitting.

Keep Hydrated: Ensure adequate water intake to support disc health.

If you require any advice regarding posture, safe movement mechanics, or relief from general backache or joint pains, feel free to get in touch with Falcon Chiropractic Harrogate.