The space race has become rekindled of late, but with a domestic twist as billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk race to commercialize the process and bring the general public into space. Because of this, it stands to reason that more people will take their first trip to space in the coming decade, and one of the most common complaints from professional astronauts who have left the stratosphere and returned is how the anti-gravity effects of space can take a toll on their spine.
Now, we’re not going to sit here and write a blog on how you can protect your spine if you hope to one day travel to space, because frankly, we don’t anticipate there being a large crossover between our blog readers and future space explorers. That being said, astronauts can absolutely help teach us about some of the best ways to strengthen and protect your spine. In today’s blog, we talk about what astronauts can teach us about protecting our spine health.
Astronauts And Our Spine
According to a review about astronauts and their spine health, 52 percent of space travelers report some type of back pain in the first 2-5 days of space travel. That number is based on a study of 722 space flights worldwide, and the condition is so prevalent that it’s been dubbed “space adaptation back pain.” 86 percent of cases were reported as mild, but many said that the pain was enough to hinder their ability to complete tasks.
The reason that back pain is common among astronauts and military pilots is that there are significant gravity fluctuations associated with their job. This constant change in pressure, or extended long-term absence of gravitational forces experienced by astronauts who remain in space, takes a large toll on a person’s spine. Another study found that military pilots were three to four times more likely than the average person to develop lumbar disc pain or a herniated disc in their back. All of these changes in gravitational forces can take a big toll on someone’s spine.
And while you may not have to worry about experiencing any of these gravitation changes if you have no intention of going into space in the near future, we can still learn from astronauts to help make our spines stronger. Most notably, we can look at how astronauts work to strengthen their spines on earth and follow in their footsteps to help keep our spines strong.
Some of the ways that astronauts work to prepare their spine for their journey into space include:
- Nutritional increases in vitamin D
- Vitamin D supplements to help increase bone strength
- Massage therapy
- Physical therapy exercises that target the spine
- Resistance training
- Electrical stimulation
Astronauts are also advised to work towards or maintain a target weight, so although weight loss may not be strictly advised, they all need to have a healthy weight in order to travel to space, so keeping your weight in check is also important for your spine.
Exercise, a healthy diet and working towards an ideal weight are three of the main pillars that astronauts focus on to help prepare their spine for the rigors of space, and those are three areas you can absolutely control even if you don’t plan to head to the moon anytime soon. Strengthen your spine through exercise and ensure your diet and weight contribute to a healthy environment instead of adding to the stress your spine faces, and your back will thank you for it.
If you need help with a specific spine issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and his team today.
