Hangover From Evolution May Be Cause Of Hip Pain

• comments
• 
• 

Researchers have discovered a design flaw in the human skeletal system. And it is believed that this flaw may be the remainder of human evolution. Also the back pain, arthritis and joint problems that many middle aged and senior citizens experience might be caused by this very design flaw. Scientists at Oxford University say that all our skeletal problems could be a hangover from evolution.

Dr. Paul Monk of the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences reports that the answer to joint problems might be found looking backward through evolution. A BBC news article says that people with lower back problems might have spines closer in shape to a chimpanzee - our nearest ape relative.  

One paper at BMC Evolutionary Biology also suggests that some have vertebrae whose shape is closer to our ancestors. And these vertebrae are less adapted to walking on two feet.  This causes inefficient bone movement and hence causes joint pain and hip pain. This phenomenon might also be the reason why some people are more prone to joint and hip pains than the others.

These findings are the beginning of a new chapter in modern medicine. It turns out that studying ancestral body structures can bring new insights into the modern human body.  Using this data, hip and bone replacements will have to be redesigned in order to work well with the continuously evolving bone structures.

A good posture, adequate exercise might be the key to avoiding hip pain temporarily. But evolutionary biology should be used as a tool to find a more permanent solution. Until then joint and hip pain will continue to exist as evolution will never stop. This is how mankind has evolved in the past and it will continue to adapt in the future.

Hip pain is a hangover from evolution. But even serious drinkers know for a fact that there is no hangover that cannot be cured.