People are actually minimally longer in the morning than in the evening. This is due to the intervertebral discs, which give a little during the day, and expand again at night. During the day, the intervertebral discs are “squeezed out” by the load, causing them to flatten. When lying down, the intervertebral discs soak up water, making them thicker. Therefore, we “grow overnight” and are up to two centimeters larger in the morning than in the evening.
Structure of the spine
The spine consists of 24 movable vertebrae, which are roughly ring-like in structure. They lie one above the other, separated by very elastic cushions. These cushions are the intervertebral discs. They are made of a gel-like substance surrounded by fibrous strands and are surrounded by ligaments that are attached to the vertebral bones. The discs can become waterlogged, much like sponges.
The “hole” of the ring gives the channel for the main nerve cord in the vertebrae built on top of each other. The intervertebral discs are involved in forming the intervertebral hole through which the nerves leave the protection of the spine and go to other parts of the body.
What is the function of the intervertebral disc?
Like a supporting column in the middle of a building, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (i.e., the spine) support a large portion of the body’s weight. The weight naturally increases from top to bottom, and therefore the vertebrae and intervertebral discs also increase in size and strength as seen from top to bottom.
The intervertebral discs allow the spine to bend and rotate – normally without pain. Without the discs, the vertebrae would grind on top of each other. Intervertebral discs also give us, taken as a whole, more than 30 inches of our height. As people get older, they seem to shrink as the discs get thinner.
