Firstly, what a result for England against DR Congo! The excitement is definitely building and we’re all looking forward to Monday evening and seeing if England can keep the momentum going. Fingers crossed they’re bringing football home!
Back in the clinic, it’s been a really exciting week as we’ve officially welcomed Jordan to the team. He’s had a fantastic start already and we’re really looking forward to seeing the difference he’ll make with his sports massage and rehabilitation skills.
It’s also been the first full week for Dr Owain at our new Reigate clinic and everything is going brilliantly. We’re so excited to be growing into Reigate, so if you have any friends or family living nearby who could benefit from our help, we’d love to look after them.
Outside of work, Saturday brought one of the biggest events of the year, the St Nicholas’ Summer Fair. It was particularly special because it was Kit’s last summer fair before moving up to junior school. It’s one of those moments that’s exciting and a little emotional at the same time. Time really does fly.
Finally, you may have spotted our Wimbledon special offer. If you’ve been struggling with knee pain or want to get yourself moving more comfortably this summer, make sure you book in with Megan and use the code MEGAN26 to receive your special discount.
Last week, I had a patient sit down in my office and say something I hear almost every week:
“I don’t think I’m stressed.”
Ten minutes later, we’d talked about their commute, their demanding job, the fact they’d been waking up at 3 am for the last six months, their elderly parent they were caring for, their kids’ exam stress and the fact they hadn’t had a day to themselves in over a year.
They looked at me and laughed.
“Actually, maybe I am a bit stressed.”
The truth is, stress has become so normal that many of us don’t even recognise it anymore.
As chiropractors, we’re often seen as people who treat backs, necks and joints; And while that’s true, one of the biggest things I see every day in clinic isn’t just a mechanical problem, it’s the effect that stress has on the body.
Because stress doesn’t just affect your mind.
It affects everything.
The Body Doesn’t Know the Difference
Your body is incredibly clever but it has one major flaw: it doesn’t always know the difference between physical danger and modern day life.
To your nervous system, these situations can all trigger a stress response:
- A difficult meeting at work
- Financial pressure
- Poor sleep
- Looking after young children
- Caring for ageing parents
- Relationship difficulties
- Constant notifications and emails
- Being stuck in traffic
- Worrying about your health
Your body responds by releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
Your muscles tighten.
Your breathing changes.
Your heart rate increases.
Your nervous system shifts into protection mode.
This is incredibly helpful if you’re trying to escape danger.
It’s less helpful when you’ve been sitting at your desk answering emails for eight hours.
Why Do So Many People Develop Neck and Back Pain During Stressful Periods?
One of the most common things patients say to me is:
“My neck pain started when work got really busy.”
Or:
“My back went after a particularly stressful few months.”
That’s not a coincidence.
When we’re stressed, we often:
- Hold our shoulders higher
- Clench our jaw
- Sit more
- Exercise less
- Sleep poorly
- Move less efficiently
- Recover more slowly
Over time, this creates a perfect storm.
Take the patient who spends all day working from a laptop while juggling deadlines. By the end of the day, their shoulders are up around their ears, their head has drifted forward, and the muscles in their neck and upper back have been working overtime for hours.
Then they sleep badly.
Then they wake up stiff.
Then they do it all again tomorrow.
Sound familiar?
“My Back Just Went”
One of my favourite phrases patients use is:
“I only bent down to pick up a sock and my back went.”
The sock wasn’t the problem.
Neither was the toothbrush.
Or unloading the dishwasher.
Or picking up the shopping bag.
Those activities are often just the final straw.
Usually, when we dig a little deeper, the story sounds more like this:
- They’ve been working long hours.
- They’ve stopped exercising.
- Sleep has been poor.
- Stress levels have been high.
- They’ve been feeling exhausted for weeks or months.
Then one small movement causes the body to say:
“That’s enough.”
The muscles go into spasm, movement becomes difficult and suddenly they’re lying on the floor wondering what happened.
As chiropractors, we see this pattern all the time.
Stress and Headaches: One of the Biggest Hidden Links We See
Headaches are another huge area where stress and physical symptoms overlap.
Patients often tell me:
- “I feel like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
- “My head feels heavy.”
- “I get headaches every afternoon.”
- “I’ve been clenching my jaw without realising.”
Honestly, many of them are exactly right.
When we’re stressed, the muscles around the neck, shoulders and jaw become more active. Add in poor posture, long hours at a desk, and lack of sleep and it’s not surprising that headaches start to become more frequent.
This doesn’t mean the pain is “all in your head.”
The pain is absolutely real.
Stress simply changes how our nervous system processes and experiences pain.
Why Does Everything Hurt More When We’re Stressed?
Have you ever noticed that an old injury suddenly starts hurting again during a difficult period in your life?
There’s a reason for that.
When the nervous system stays switched on for long periods, it becomes more sensitive.
It’s a little bit like turning the volume dial up on your body’s alarm system.
Things that normally wouldn’t bother you suddenly become painful.
Recovery takes longer.
Aches become more noticeable.
Your body becomes more protective.
This is why two people can have the exact same physical problem but experience completely different levels of pain.
The Patients We See Every Day
When I think about stress in practice, I don’t think about textbooks.
I think about:
- The new mum whose back pain started after months of poor sleep.
- The business owner who hasn’t had a day off in years.
- The commuter whose neck pain worsens every train journey.
- The office worker who developed headaches during a particularly stressful project.
- The retiree caring for a partner and forgetting to look after themselves.
None of these people are weak.
None of them are imagining their symptoms.
Their bodies are simply responding to the load they’ve been carrying.
So What Can We Do?
One of the biggest misconceptions about stress is that we have to eliminate it.
That’s impossible.
Instead, we need to improve our ability to recover from it.
That might involve:
- Improving sleep habits
- Walking more regularly
- Strength training
- Taking regular breaks from sitting
- Practising breathing exercises
- Spending more time outdoors
- Talking to someone
- Getting hands on treatment when appropriate
- Creating small moments of recovery during the day
In clinic, we often talk about reducing the overall “load” on the body.
Sometimes that means improving movement. Sometimes it means improving sleep.
Sometimes it means helping someone realise that the reason their body hurts isn’t because they’re broken, it’s because they’ve been carrying too much for too long.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years in practice, it’s this:
People are often much tougher than they give themselves credit for.
They keep going to work.
They keep looking after everyone else.
They keep pushing through.
Until one day, their body asks them to stop and pay attention.
Stress doesn’t mean you’re weak.
Pain doesn’t mean you’re broken.
Sometimes, it’s simply your body’s way of asking for a little support.
And if you’re struggling with neck pain, back pain, headaches or persistent muscle tension, it may be worth asking yourself a different question:
“What’s been going on in my life recently?”
Because sometimes, the answer isn’t just in the spine.
It’s in the story!
If you’d like to learn more about the hidden link between stress, pain and Chiropractic care, I invite you to book a discovery visit. My team and I are always happy to answer your questions and help you explore your options.
References
- American Psychological Association. (2024). Stress effects on the body.
- Crofford, L. J. (2022). Chronic pain: Where the body meets the brain. Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, 133, 170–183.
- International Association for the Study of Pain. (2021). IASP terminology: Pain and pain mechanisms.
- McEwen, B. S., & Akil, H. (2020). Revisiting the stress concept: Implications for affective disorders. The Journal of Neuroscience, 40(1), 12–21.
- Slavich, G. M. (2020). Social safety theory: A biologically based evolutionary perspective on life stress, health, and behavior. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16, 265–295.
- Stubbs, B., Koyanagi, A., Thompson, T., Veronese, N., Carvalho, A. F., Solomi, M., Mugisha, J., Schofield, P., Cosco, T., Wilson, N., & Vancampfort, D. (2018). The epidemiology of back pain and its relationship with depression, psychosis, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and stress sensitivity. General Hospital Psychiatry, 52, 63–70.
- Toussaint, L., Shields, G. S., Dorn, G., & Slavich, G. M. (2021). Effects of lifetime stress exposure on mental and physical health: A review of contemporary findings. Psychological Bulletin, 147(10), 1022–1065.
- World Health Organization. (2023). Stress. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress
