A knowledgeable patient is an empowered patient, right? And whoever said learning about your spine can’t be fun? With that in mind, our Bournemouth chiropractor has some surprising spine trivia that may just make you think differently about your body’s most incredible tool …

You are taller in the morning than you are at night

How can this be possible? The same reason that astronauts gain a couple of inches in height after spending time in space –the absence of gravity. As you go about your day, the weight of your body puts more and more pressure on the intervertebral discs that act as shock absorbers between the bones in your neck and back. This downward pull causes the discs to become more compressed so that the length of your spine shortens. When you sleep, your spine goes through a period without a downward gravitational pull, allowing the cartilage to expand.

After your fortieth birthday, the effects of gravity and aging join forces to shrink your stature by a quarter of an inch or more per decade!

Humans have the same number of neck vertebrae as giraffes!

A giraffe’s neck can be more than six feet long whereas a human’s is typically less than five inches.  But both contain the same number of vertebrae! Now that’s something to tell your family the next time you’re at the zoo!

Smoking is bad for the spine.

It’s no great revelation that smoking is seriously bad news for your health, but did you know that it can directly affect the condition of your spine, too?

Puffing away can reduce bone strength and the vital blood flow that your spine needs to stay strong. It can also delay the healing process when your spine’s been injured and reduce your likelihood of leading the physically active lifestyle that keeps backaches at bay.

Back pain is one of the top reasons for GP visits and missed work days, and up to 80% of Brits will suffer from back pain at some point during their lives.

The more you know about your spine, the more power you will have to keep it in optimum health.

And now you know a little bit of giraffe anatomy too! (You never know when that will come in handy!)