Pain and Vertebral Dysfunction in Dry Immersion: A Model of Microgravity Simulation Different from Bed Rest Studies.

Background: Astronauts frequently experience back pain during and after spaceflight. The aim of this study was to utilize clinical methods to identify potential vertebral somatic dysfunction (VD) in subjects exposed to dry immersion (DI), a model of microgravity simulation.

Method: The experiment was performed in a space research clinic, respecting all the ethical rules, with subjects completing three days of dry immersion ( = 11).