How Stress Affects Your Spine Health

Millions of Americans suffer from back pain symptoms, and around the world, it’s the leading cause of disability. Lots of problems can cause or contribute to back pain and the underlying spinal issues that cause it, including chronic and acute stress.

Josue Maysonet, DC, is a leading provider of chiropractic therapies focused on promoting spine health and wellness for patients at Kerinver Chiropractic. In this post, learn how stress could be affecting your spine health.

Stress and your spine

Research shows a significant link between stress and back pain, particularly the pain that affects your spine and other parts of your back. The worse your stress becomes, the more pain you likely have. Stress can contribute to back pain and spine issues in multiple ways.

Muscle tension and spine alignment

When we’re stressed, our muscles tighten, particularly the muscles around our spine. For many of us, chronic stress is associated with neck or shoulder stiffness, lower back pain, or related issues like headaches.

Extra muscle tension tugs on the spine bones (vertebrae), pulling them out of optimal alignment. That misalignment can cause pain on its own, but it can also result in disc problems, like herniated discs or even torn discs. Without prompt treatment, spinal misalignment increases the risk of other painful issues like arthritis and degenerative disc disease.

Reduced circulation and poorer healing

Poor spine alignment and tight muscles impair blood flow and nerve communication around the spine, leading to pain in your back and limbs. Stress can cause blood vessel constriction that leads to further decreases in blood flow.

Impaired circulation can lead to muscle and nerve-related pain, making it harder for your spine to heal. That’s because blood carries oxygen and other nutrients necessary for spine health while also carrying away toxins that can cause pain and inflammation.

Sleep problems

Most of us know too well how stress can negatively impact our ability to get a good night’s sleep. Poor sleep leads to daytime sleepiness and poor posture, adding strain on muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Sleep is also when our body repairs itself. When we don’t get enough sleep, it’s harder for the spine to recover from the strains and stresses of the day. Poor sleep worsens stress, too, creating a cycle that can be hard to break.

Heightened sensitivity and inflammation

Ironically, chronic stress also makes it harder for your body and your mind to deal with pain, which means when you’re stressed out, pain can feel worse, and it can be harder to control pain and find relief. 

At the same time, chronic stress triggers inflammatory responses in your body. While some inflammation helps the healing process, stress causes high levels of inflammatory responses that can worsen pain and healing.

Reduce stress and pain with chiropractic care

Dr. Maysonet is specially trained to diagnose and manage spine health issues affecting the upper, middle, or lower back and the side effects these issues can cause. 

Through a custom treatment plan featuring on-site spinal adjustments and other hands-on therapies, combined with home exercises and lifestyle changes, you can support your spine health and reduce your risk of spine problems and chronic pain.

To learn how Dr. Maysonet can help you protect your spine as you age, request an appointment online or over the phone with the Kerinver Chiropractic team in Kissimmee and Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida, today.