Flat bedrest has been tested on many people as a model for microgravity conditions in Spaceflight. Also head down tilt has been tested to induce some of the harmful effects of living in a reduced gravity environment.
We curently are analysing the effects of humidity, water, saline, and dry climate on the skin, particularly relating to psoriasis .
http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?p=301797&posted=1#post301797
Presumably gravity or the lack of it according to my theory should show up in NASA data. A search revealed the following interesting reported skin conditions. Presumably, no astronauts would have psoriasis prior to micro gravity flight conditions, due to the shed skin cells floating around inside the craft. However, it would appear that micro gravity did induce psoriasis and a startling number of other skin related problems, suggesting again that gravity plays a vital roll in health.
Flat bed rest and head down bed rest have been used and still are being used by countries involved in space flight. Why? Because they can induce all of the degenerative effects shown below without taking healthy people into space at a fraction of the cost.
Overview
This document, prepared by the NASA Medical Policy Board (MPB), describes medical and clinical policies and related procedures for manned space missions. First issued as the Medical Policy Board Handbook in 1995, this is the fifth revision of this document. This reflects NASA’s medical policy for strategic planning and references an increased knowledge in evidence-based space medicine gained from the ongoing human space flight program.
<Table 1
Medical Events in Shuttle Program Reported by Frequency from Postflight Medical Debrief, STS-26–STS-74
(1988–1995)
Condition Frequency Percent
Facial fullness 226 81.0%
Headache 212 76.0%
Sinus congestion 173 62.0%
Dry skin, irritation, rash 110 39.4%
Eye irritation, dryness, redness 64 22.9%
Foreign body in eye 56 20.1%
Sneezing/coughing 31 11.1%
Sensory changes (e.g., tingly, numbness, unusual sensations) 26 9.3%
URI (common cold, sore throat, sinus headache, hayfever) 24 8.6%
Back muscle pain (excluding “space” backpain) 21 7.5%
Leg/foot muscle pain 21 7.5%
Cuts 19 6.8%
Shoulder/trunk muscle pain 18 6.5%
Hand/arm muscle pain 15 5.4%
Anxiety/annoyance 10 3.6%
Contusions 10 3.6%
Ear problems (predominantly earaches) 8 2.9%
Neck muscle pain 8 2.9%
Stress/tension 8 2.9%
Muscle cramp 7 2.5%
Abrasions 6 2.2%
Fever, chills 6 2.2%
Nosebleed 6 2.2%
Psoriasis, folliculitis, seborrhea 6 2.2%
Low heart rate 5 1.8%
Myoclonic jerks (associated with sleep) 5 1.8%
General muscle pain, fatigue 4 1.4%
Subconjunctival hemorrhage 4 1.4%
Allergic reaction 3 1.1%
Fungal infection 3 1.1%
Hoarseness 3 1.1%
Concentrated or “dark” urine 2 0.7%
Decreased concentration 2 0.7%
Dehydration 2 0.7%
Inhalation of foreign body 2 0.7%
Subcutaneous skin infection 2 0.7%
Chemical in eye (buffer solution) 1 0.4%
Fever blisters 1 0.4%
Mood elevation 1 0.4%
Phlebitis 1 0.4%
Viral gastrointestinal disease 1 0.4%
Table 1: Medical Events in Shuttle Program Reported by Frequency from Postflight Medical Debrief,
STS-26 Through STS-74 (1988–1995). JSC Publication (EDO Report?)