When Did the Human Spine Evolve?
July 26, 2017
If you’ve ever had back pain, you’ve probably cursed your spine as the root of all evil, and you would be partially right. 90% of animals have no spine. The human form has a problematic backbone that is responsible for many chronic pain conditions.
Ancient History of Back Pain
The spine evolved about 500 million years ago. The Cambrian explosion responsible for upright walking began when the ocean’s creatures developed vertebrae. They didn’t have a spine yet, though, only “notochords”, which are made of a material similar to cartilage.
Nobody agrees on which creature is humanity’s earliest ancestor, but recently, researchers discovered the fossil of a young child that might answer that question more precisely. It reveals that the human spine has existed for at least 3.3 million years. Even more exciting, the fossil’s vertebrae were in the process of forming into individual parts, which gives scientists insight into how the backbone evolved. The flexibility that the backbone lost when it evolved from a notocord to a spinal cord was replaced by stronger bone, but came with parts that rubbed together to cause neuropathic and muscular pain.
The first hominids climbed trees and walked, so they had both apelike and humanoid qualities. They became bipedal about six million years ago, but the curved spine we recognize today only formed 2.5 million years ago. Early human backbones connected to the back of the skull like a chimpanzee’s. They evolved to connect underneath the skull to allow for upright walking.
Chronic Pain Conditions Not Caused by Injury or Illness
If you can't attribute your pain to a single injury or illness, it may be due to repetitive motion or strenuous activities. Walking upright has unfortunate consequences, particularly because the muscles that support your body attach on an inward curve. Now we've added behaviors like playing sports, working at a desk, and texting to complicate matters for the spine. Since you can't wait around for your skeleton to adapt perfectly to your lifestyle, we work with what you have. Come in for a consultation to discuss your diagnosis and which non-invasive and surgical treatment options best address the issue.
