How do we know that gravity is a major cause of thinning discs?
We know because astronauts grow in space! After 84 days in space (a gravity-free environment), astronauts grew 2 inches in height. During these 12 weeks in orbit, their discs had continued to take moisture from the blood stream and adjacent muscles, but with no gravitational pull squeezing it back out, the discs remained healthfully thick, lengthening the astronauts’ spines, and so making them taller. In fact, space suits are designed to fit the extra 2-inch spinal stretch. After a few days on earth (a gravity environment), the astronauts returned to their normal height. How can inversion reduce the effects of gravity? When you invert, your body can stretch up to 2 inches over a short time. “Muscles relax quite quickly in the fully inverted position, and the length of the spine measurably increases after only a few minutes. Some of the lengthening effect is gained from reabsorption of fluid into the center of the disc. Used over a longer period, this may delay the degeneration process
