After studying the effects of space on astronauts, scientists say that humans apparently gain height during extended space flights. However, the downside is that they also lose important spine muscles due to microgravity.

NASA scientists say that the spine changes during space flight which can trigger severe back pain leading to injuries.

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In this new study, six NASA astronauts were given MRI scans before their space mission aboard the International Space Station. After spending time in lower Earth orbit, they were scanned again. Medics found that their back problems were linked to tiny muscles slowly wasting away around the spine.

The gain in height can also be explained by the spine straightening itself out since body mass no longer puts a significant load on it. However, this height gain is only temporary since it rapidly returns to normal once back on Earth.

According to professor of orthopedic surgery, Alan Hargens of the University of California, San Diego, doing yoga in space can help astronauts since one needs to reproduce normal daily loading activity on the spine while in microgravity conditions.

 Cross section scans show that the spine muscles of the astronauts decreased by 19 percent, based on preflight and post flight MRI scans. However, after a few months on Earth, two-thirds of their muscle mass was recovered.

These muscles are known as paraspinal muscles. They connect our vertebrae to control movement along the individual bones, supporting the entire spine and preventing misalignment.

These new findings show that spinal muscles disintegrate when the spine no longer needs to stabilize the weight of the human body, as astronauts float in zero gravity conditions in space.

Astronauts often suffer from back problems and pain. Around 70 percent of them experience discomfort during their first few days in space. Astronauts also suffer from severe spine pain or return home with slipped discs. They are four times more likely to suffer to suffer from these condition than the rest of us here on Earth.

These new findings were published in the journal Spine.