Scientists say back pain has been around for 4 million years+

Scientists and researchers who have been examining the fossilised remains of a 45 year old man who lived somewhat more than half a million years ago have been able to see wear and tear to his back bones that shows he suffered from back pain and spine issues that are still common today.

The news that our ancestors may have suffered back pain the same as we do may not seem like a hugely significant fact, but in fact it could prove to be so, and could mean that we have to re-think many of our current beliefs surrounding back pain and its causes.

In findings that were presented on Friday 25th of February during a talk at Cambridge University, researchers were able to put forward a report that challenges the notion that it’s our sedentary style of living which is to blame for many spinal problems today.

The team of researchers has been analysing fossil records from a variety of specimens including Australopithecines who lived about 4.4 million years ago and Neanderthals who were around 30,000 years ago. They have been able to prove that back problems were evident in both these species of humans.

The research has suggested that conditions such as spondylolisthesis where the spine slips out of position and Baastrup’s disease where parts of the spine rub against each other, along with many other conditions have been around far longer than we thought they had. It seems that human ancestors from millions of years ago may have had these very conditions and were not being caused by our sedentary lifestyle at all.

Dr Asier Gomez-Olivencia, the research team leader said “it appears we are looking at the spine of a man who had several different problems which are associated with pain today”. He went on to explain that the research showed he’d have probably been unable to hunt for food, and is likely therefore to have been cared for by other members of his community.

This research brings significant new data to the field of back pain and its causes, and challenges the belief that it’s our way of living today that causes many of the conditions that lead to back pain. If these early humans who led such different lifestyles to us hunting and gathering food suffered from many of the same conditions, it may mean we have to re-evaluate what the causes of these conditions actually are.

Dynaspine

Many back pain sufferers have tried the Dynaspine Back Support to help relieve the aching feeling and discomfort caused by back problems.  The back support plates on Dynaspine consistently support the spinal joints and discs to improve posture and help keep the back muscles strong.  This increases back pain relief and discomfort.  Dynaspine is most suited to office workers, car drivers, pregnant women and the elderly.