Hair greying, wrinkles, vision loss and hearing loss are not the only issues that come up as people age. Another gradual and normal part of ageing is spine shrinking. As one ages, the height begins to decrease, usually after their 50’s. Initially, it tends to go unnoticed and later it becomes apparent when the person is in their 70s or 80s.
While it is natural to lose height as one ages, the decrease could lead to discomfort, pain at times and decreased quality of life.
When the height loss is excessive, be it due to spinal kyphosis (hunchback) or scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine), or other factors, it can lead to spinal malalignment.
Why does height reduce with age?
As one ages, the muscles, bones and joints undergo wear and tear. Several changes can be seen in the spine as well. This results in the loss of height. A major cause is the progression of the degeneration of intervertebral discs in the vertebral column.
“In the intervertebral discs the water content and the space between the spinal joints also decreases gradually. Thus, the height of the aged person also reduces,” says Dr Om Patil, orthopedic and endoscopic spine surgeon from Mumbai. “Another major cause of spine shrinkage is osteoporosis. The vertebral height gets reduced, especially on the front side of the spine because of the reduced bone density.”
While flattening of the intervertebral discs and osteoporosis lead to spine shrinkage and reduced height, other causes include fracture or deformity in the vertebral column, or decreased muscle strength. The posture among elderly tends to stoop forward due to an increase in curvature of the spine. This condition is known as kyphosis.
Spine shrinkage more in women than men
Several studies indicate that women lose more height compared to men, especially because of the higher risk of osteoporosis.
According to research in which the height loss in men and women were compared, 31 percent of the men and 76 percent of the women who took part in the study showed height loss.
“In an average person, the natural bone loss is about one percent. However, most women, after menopause tend to lose about two percent of bone density every year,” says Dr Patil. “This is because of the imbalance in the hormones after menopause. Thus, women lose more height compared to men.”
How to reduce height loss as you age
Since one of the most important causes of reduction in height is the decrease in bone density and weak muscles, maintaining good bone density and strong muscles from a younger age is crucial. The habit of regular exercise and intake of nutritious food makes a huge difference in reducing height loss.
“It is important to do weight training,” says Dr Patil. “One can take calcium supplements as it would help to make the bones strong. A nutritious diet and avoiding smoking or limiting the intake of alcohol is also necessary. Muscle mass can be improved by improving your sitting, standing and office work posture to naturally align the spine biomechanics.”
Wrong posture increases the tendency to lose bone density and the curvature of the spine. Sedentary lifestyle should be avoided and activities like yoga, gentle stretches can be done. High impact activities should be avoided by the elderly.
Takeaways
- With ageing, the wear and tear of muscles, bones and joints happens.
- Flattening of the intervertebral discs and osteoporosis or the loss of bone cause spine shrinkage, leading to decrease in height.
- Including weight training exercises and the right nutrition in the daily schedule of the individual from earlier years is necessary to reduce the rate of height loss as one ages.
