Even after a person is past puberty and their bones have stopped growing, there are several ways they can add inches to their height. Through exercises that stretch out and strengthen the lower back and spine, a person's posture can be improved, lengthening a person's height by up to four inchesname = exercisehttp://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/practical_exercises_to_increase_height_growing_up_as_a_grownup.html. Growth Hormone treatment can add up to five inches to a person's height, but this option comes with known, medical side effectshttp://www.mayoclinic.org/specialty-pharmacy/growth-hormone-deficiency.html. And finally, there is a surgical procedure called Distraction Osteogenesis, also known as limb lengthening. This is a long and painful procedure, in which a person's leg bones are broken, pulled apart, and stabilized by rods, allowing new bone to grow into the gap.
Before you embark on any of these options, you should consult a physician and be thoroughly informed of potential risks. Side effects linked to the use of Growth Hormones include carpal tunnel syndrome, hypertension, diabetes and gynecomastia (enlargement of male mammary glandshttp://www.mayoclinic.org/specialty-pharmacy/growth-hormone-deficiency.html.) People going through Distraction Osteogenesis are prone to complications associated with any invasive surgery—including risks of infection, damage to blood vessels, nerves and fat embolisms, and even death.
Stretching Exercises to Help You Grow Taller
Here is a video that shows some exercises to help you add an inch or two of height, by lengthening and strengthening your spin. Hanging from a bar helps to elongate your spine. Bending over and touching your toes, also helps your spin lengthen.
Step 1: Exercises
Anaerobic exercises (exercises that work out muscles at high intensities for short periods of time, such as heavy weight lifting and sprinting) stimulate the body's own human growth hormonehttp://www.vitaminstuff.com/articles/healthfitness/articles-healthfitness-2.html.
Exercises like yoga and pilates, which strengthen core muscles, while stretching the lower back and spine will improve your posture, which can add inches to your heighthttp://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/practical_exercises_to_increase_height_growing_up_as_a_grownup.html.
Hanging from an exercise bar has been known to counter the effects of gravity and add to a person's heighthttp://hubpages.com/hub/3-Hanging-Techniques-To-Make-You-Grow-Taller.
Step 2: Growth Hormone
Growth Hormone treatment is predominantly used to treat children with dwarfism. The use of this medication can only be prescribed by a doctor, and requires the assistance of a pediatric endocrinologist. This treatment is usually successful in increasing growth rate, but the amount of growth tapers off with prolonged treatmenthttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001176.htm.
Growth Hormone treatment in adults have been shown to enhance energy, strength, bone density, and increase muscle masshttp://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/11/chasing.hgh/.
Step 3: Surgery
Distraction Osteogenesis is a surgical procedure originally developed to correct skeletal deformities—but in recent years, has been utilized outside of the U.S. as a form of cosmetic surgery, to lengthen the legs and add to a person's height.http://www.addinchestoheight.com/surgery_to_increase_height.html
The process can take over a year, and involves extensive physiotherapy after the surgeryhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4242093/. When this surgery is used for the purpose of adding height, a bone in the leg is broken by the surgeon. A device known as a distractor is then attached to the bone, which stretches the break apart. Over time, new bone grows into this gap, creating a longer leg bone. Once the new bone is strong and stable, the distractor is removed. An extensive physiotherapy regime is then implemented, which strengthens the surrounding muscles and allows for nerves and blood vessels to grow with the new bonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distraction_osteogenesis.
