Lower back pain? You can thank your desk job — and the Industrial Revolution. Scientists just figured out that our spines actually started hurting more when we stopped moving and started sitting. The wildest part? Neanderthals probably had stronger backs and fewer spine issues than we do today.
Researchers compared ancient spines from before and after the Industrial Revolution and noticed something: spines started curving more once humans traded fields for factories and eventually, offices. Turns out all that sitting, slouching, and bad posture changed how our bodies developed. Before that? Our backs looked more like Neanderthals’. Seriously.
So yeah, we walk like them, but we sit way more — and our backs are mad about it. They didn’t have chairs, screens, or endless emails. We do. Maybe it’s time to rethink how we treat our backs — or start moving like it’s 1799 again.
Szilágyi Mónika
