For millennia, humans have been drawn to explore the cosmos. Since Apollo 11 astronauts first set foot on lunar soil in 1969, more than 72 countries have established their own space programs. And with NASA’s plans to establish a sustained presence on the moon by 2028, including a possible staging point for future missions to Mars, human space exploration is expected to rocket forward in the years to come.
But any space-bound travelers may have to contend with a surprisingly mundane (and highly common) terrestrial problem: back pain.
More than half of space travelers experience some form of back pain during their voyage, according to a report by a team of researchers and physicians published in the journal Anesthesiology in 2021. While most back pain in space tends to fade on its own, the scientists predict that the number of people suffering from such discomfort will increase alongside the projected surge in the number of humans voyaging beyond our atmosphere.
What’s more, further study of methods to prevent, diagnose and treat back pain among astronauts — like specialized spacesuits and certain kinds of exercises — may benefit Earthbound humans battling aching backs, as well.
