Your spine is composed of 24 bones (vertebrae) with cartilegenous discs acting as cushions between them, ligaments hold the vertebrae together and muscles (multifidis) running the spine’s entire length gives the spine movement and strength. Your spine  holds you up and provides protection for your precious spinal cord that is encased within.

So how is the circulation of blood and fluids in the spine different to circulation elsewhere in your body and why is it so important to help maintain it?

Firstly your spinal discs are not naturally graced with a very efficient system of circulation, it is non-directional which means that body fluids can get into and out of the disc but it is actually your posture and the way that you physically move your back that pumps the blood around within your discs to keep them healthy.

When we age and lose body height it is mainly due to our discs shrivelling which effectively shortens the spine, the atrophied (worn) discs lose their shock absorbing qualities and the spine stiffens, these factors go a long way to explaining why elderly people stand and move the way they do.

Disc injury is a very common cause of back pain too, the walls of the disc are fibrous but the centre is spongy. When the disc becomes damaged because of disease or trauma it may bulge out one side or even completely rupture which can be extremely debilitating and painful. Needless to say being over weight does not help you one little bit when this happens and apart from localised pain the bulging disc can press against your sciatic nerve and cause pain and weakness from your hip to your toe.

If you are lucky your prolapsed disc can  go completely unnoticed, in a study on disc prolapse several years ago 70% of the people in the sample group reported no back pain at all even though scans showed a clear bulging in atleast one of their discs, most likely because the bulge was not up against a nerve. If you are unlucky even a small disc bulge can cause you alot of grief.

The types of  movement that takes place in a spine when a person does yoga or Tai Qi or Qi Gong do a fine job at moving the fluid safely around inside of our discs. As you can no doubt imagine a disc that may already be weakened might not react as well to sudden violent twisting movement particularly if you are lifting something in an awkward posture.

Disc prolapse can cause other problems too such as creating pressure on the membrane that encases the spinal cord through which cerebro spinal fluid (CSF) moves. CSF is produced in the brain, your brain literally floats in it and it  extends all the way down your spinal cord, it’s composition is plasma like, pink and sweet to taste. It protects and helps nourish your brain and spinal cord. CSF circulation is helped along by good posture as is the fluid inside your discs.

If you drink plenty of water, adopt good posture always, do the right exercise, educate yourself about how your body works and get treatment when you need it you will help your spine last as long as you do.