July - August 2012 (PDF Version) - New York Chiropractic College

Astronauts Seek Answers from
Chiropractic
Great news! The National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)
announced the inclusion
of chiropractic care on an
expert panel tasked with
addressing heightened
musculoskeletal risks
amongst astronauts.
NASA recognizes heightened risks of
musculoskeletal injuries to our astronauts
and, accordingly, empanelled multidisciplinary
experts to identify impacting factors
such as microgravity exposure, flight
weight and landing forces - topics were
covered during a Spinal Deconditioning
Injury Risk Summit where protection and
prevention strategies were discussed.
Attending the Summit was University
of South Florida chiropractor, John Mayer,
DC, PhD, Lincoln College Endowed
Chair in Biomechanical and Chiropractic
Research, and associate professor, School
of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Sciences at USF Health.
Dr. Mayer feels chiropractic care
represents advancement in prevention
and protection protocols. As the spine’s
musculoskeletal support breaks down in
18
space, the astronaut’s health is compromised.
Such a condition often leads to
other debilitating health concerns, such as
disc herniation – an ailment space crews
are five times more at risk for than aver-
www.nycc.edu
age individuals, he explained. Possible
options to enhance astronauts’ safety
measures can include developing new
equipment, altering spaceflight exercise
procedures, and new healthcare practices.