- Cancer Takes Tough Toll on Family Finances
- You Might Fare Better If Your Doctor Is Female, Study Finds
- CDC Launches Online ‘Heat Forecaster’ Tool as Another Summer Looms
- Biden Administration Sets Nursing Home Staffing Minimums
- Neosporin Ointment in the Nose Might Be Potent Antibiotic
- Physical Ills Often Plague People With Schizophrenia, Bipolar
- Taking Psilocybin for Depression? Relationship With Therapist Is Key
- Stick to Heimlich Maneuver Not ‘Anti-Choking’ Devices, FDA Says
- Women in the Military at Risk for Low-Weight Babies
- Repeat Blasts Can Damage Soldiers’ Brains, Study Confirms
Long Spaceflight Seems to Weaken Spinal Muscles
After months in space, the muscles supporting an astronaut’s spine shrink, a new study finds.
And, the muscles don’t return to normal even after the astronaut is back on Earth for several weeks, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, discovered.
But there were no changes in astronauts’ spinal disc height, according to the study.
The researchers assessed six NASA astronauts who spent four to seven months on the International Space Station. The researchers said the study offers new insight into increased rates of back pain and spinal disc disease among astronauts on long space missions.
“These findings run counter to the current scientific thinking about the effects of microgravity on disc swelling,” said study author Dr. Douglas Chang. He’s an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation service at UC San Diego Health.
“Further studies will be needed to clarify the effects on disc height, and determine whether they contribute to the increase in body height during space missions, and to the increased risk of herniated discs,” Chang said in a university news release.
“However, it’s information like this that could provide helpful information needed to support longer space missions, such as a manned mission to Mars,” he added.
He said the results suggest possible ways to reduce the effects of spaceflight on the spine. For example, core-strengthening exercises that are recommended for patients with back pain might benefit astronauts in training.
Also, yoga might help counter spinal stiffness and reduced mobility, Chang added.
The findings were published Oct. 25 in the journal Spine.
More information
The European Space Agency has more on living in space.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.