Spine Facts

Did you know that you're taller in the morning than you are in the evening? Read on for more interesting spine facts.

The spine contains over 120 individual muscles, 220 specialized ligaments and over 100 joints
Cartilage makes up 25 percent of the spine's length
These cartilage disks expand in the absence of gravity
- The Skylab astronauts grew 1.5-2.5 inches due to spinal lengthening as a result of zero gravity
Gravity also causes these disks to compress over time. People shrink between a quarter of an inch and five inches every decade after 40
You are taller in the morning than at night due to temporary, daily compression of these disks

Spinal disorders are the single greatest cause of disability in the working population
Spinal disorders are the second most frequent reason for a doctor visit and the third most common reason for surgery
People who have back pain and do not specifically retrain their deep back muscles are 22 times more likely to have a reoccurrence of back pain in the following three years

Over 250,000 Americans have a spinal cord injury
- Of these, 82 percent are males
Spinal cord injuries are mostly commonly caused by:
- Motor vehicle accidents (48%)
- Falls (21%)
- Violence (15%)
- Sport-related injuries (14% - two thirds of these are from diving)
Fifty-six percent (56%) of spinal cord injuries occur between the ages of 16 and 30