Space Travel Affects Astronauts’ Spine, Studies Say

Being an astronaut is a dream that very few of the total world population can see come true, but it comes with a price. Astronauts who have long space missions are shown to have atrophy of the muscles - especially those that support the spine.

The condition does not return to normal even weeks after their return to Earth, either, and the results provide new insights to the elevated rates of back pain and spinal disc diseases associated with prolonged space flights.

Dr. Douglas G. Chang of the University of California, San Diego, and his colleagues said that their study could provide helpful information, especially to support manned missions to Mars. Six NASA crew members were studied before and after they spent four to seven months on the International Space Station. Each one underwent MRI scans of the spine before their mission, immediately after their return, and again after one to two months. What does return, however, is their height - astronauts gain another 2-3 inches in long space flights, but they go back to their normal height soon after returning to earth.

Phys.org noted that the goal is to understand lumbar spine strength and low back pain during these space flights, as well as the spine's response after returning to Earth. Back pain is common during prolonged missions, as over half the crew members have reported spinal pain.

In order to help astronauts more, Chang said that core-strengthening exercises similar to those recommended for "regular" patients with back pain could be a useful addition to astronaut exercise training during the time that they are in space. Yoga, he added, could also be a promising approach, especially when it comes to spinal stiffness and reduced mobility.

But why do these things happen to astronauts? While it cannot be confirmed yet, Chang believes that the weightlessness allows components of the spite to relax and float slightly apart because there would be no gravity to push them together. Chang told Live Science that further studies will have to be done to clarify the situations, especially considering the likelihood of sending people to a manned mission to Mars.