Let's Talk Discs

Pain originating from the intervertebral disc (IVD) in medicine is known as ‘discogenic’ pain. It is an extremely common source of lower back pain and one I am well versed in treating at the office. It is estimated that 50% of 40+ year olds will show disc morphological changes on MRI such as annular tears or nucleus protrusions. The majority of these cases will be asymptomatic or without any pain. However that does not mean that the health or status of the disc material is optimal.

A paper published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2017 set out to investigate whether more active individuals had healthier discs. The researchers took MRI scans of 79 participants to quantify IVD T2-time. Results of the testing signify the large differences in discal height and size. I have attached below a striking image of the 3 dimensional findings:

The images show that in this cohort of people the runners have more hydrated and hypertrophied IVD’s. In simple words their discs are healthier. The authors go on to say that in comparison to other locomotor activity, fast walking or slow running may provide the strongest anabolic stimulus for adaptation in the IVD in humans. Therefore to get all the benefits of spinal axial loading the dose does not have to be crazy high. Gentle running or fast paced walking activity is perfect!

So if you like the sound of juicier discs the next thing to do is lace up your running shoes. Begin with no more than 3 sessions a week. I recommend for total beginners to always utilise a ‘jog-walk’ approach. Do not be afraid to recover during a run by taking extended breaks of walking. It takes months and months of consistent work to build aerobic capacity. Life is literally a marathon not a sprint.

¹ Daniel L. Belavý et al., (2017). Running Exercise Strengthens The Intervertebral Disc. Nature/scientificreports

If you are suffering from low back pain or ‘discogenic’ symptoms please visit the online diary to book an initial consultation appointment.