Treatment for Space Atrophy Finding Application on Earth

The lack of gravity in space reduces the mechanical loading seen by both the muscles and bones of the body, especially those related to standing and moving. The body adapts to reduced loading by losing bone mass and muscle mass. In long-duration space flights this leads to “disuse atrophy,” and an astronaut may lose up to 20% of their bone mass in one year in space. A countermeasure therapy using passive vibration for neuromusculoskeletal stimulation was originally designed by Jeff Leismer, PhD, founder and CTO, VibeTech, Inc., Sheboygan, WI, to enable longer space flights by reducing atrophy.