The Connection Between Stress and Physical Pain

Hey everyone, welcome back. I’m Doctor Hunter Schultz with nine-two-oh Chiropractic Health and Injury Care here in Green Bay, and today we’re talking about something that I think a lot of people don’t fully connect — and that’s the relationship between stress and physical pain.

Now, you might be thinking, “Doctor Schultz, I came in for my back, not to talk about my feelings.” And I get that. I really do. But here’s the thing — your brain and your body are not separate systems. They are deeply, constantly talking to each other. And when stress enters the picture, your body has a very real, very physical response to it.

So let me break this down for you.

When you experience stress — whether that’s a deadline at work, a difficult conversation, financial pressure, whatever it might be — your nervous system kicks into what we call a fight or flight response. Your body releases stress hormones. Your heart rate goes up. And here’s the part that’s really relevant to us — your muscles tighten. Almost involuntarily. Your shoulders creep up toward your ears. Your jaw clenches. Your lower back braces. Your body is literally preparing for a threat, even if that threat is just a full inbox.

Now, if this happens once in a while, your body recovers. No big deal. But when stress is chronic — when it’s just the background noise of your life day after day — those muscles stay tight. That tension accumulates. And over time, it starts to cause real pain. Headaches, neck stiffness, upper back aching, lower back tightness. These are all things I see in my office every single week that have a strong stress component behind them.

Here’s what’s interesting. A lot of my patients come in and say, “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t lift something heavy, I didn’t have an accident — I just woke up and I was in pain.” And I always ask them, how’s your stress been lately? And almost every time, their eyes go wide. Because they hadn’t connected those two things.

Stress doesn’t just make you feel bad emotionally. It physically changes the way your body holds itself. It changes your posture. It changes your breathing patterns. Shallow, chest-level breathing — which is super common when we’re stressed — actually tightens the muscles around your ribs and mid back. It’s a cascade.

So what can you start doing today? A few simple things.

First — be intentional about your breathing. A few times a day, take five or six slow, deep breaths from your belly. This actually signals your nervous system to calm down. It shifts you out of that fight or flight state. It sounds simple, and it is. But it works.

Second — move your body. I know you’ve heard it before, but even a ten minute walk can help flush out some of that physical tension that stress builds up. Movement is medicine.

And third — pay attention to where you hold tension. Check in with your shoulders. Check in with your jaw. Most people don’t realize they’ve been clenching for hours until someone points it out. Just becoming aware of it is the first step to releasing it.

Now, here’s when you should come see me. If you’re dealing with recurring headaches, persistent neck or back pain, or you feel like you’re constantly stiff and tight — especially if you can’t point to a specific injury — that’s worth getting evaluated. Sometimes the spine needs to be assessed and adjusted to help restore normal movement and take some of that nervous system load off. Chiropractic care can be a really valuable piece of the puzzle, especially alongside the stress management work you’re doing on your own.

You don’t have to just live with pain. And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Thanks so much for tuning in today. I really appreciate you spending a few minutes with me. If you’ve got questions, or you’re ready to come in and get checked out, we would love to see you at nine-two-oh Chiropractic Health and Injury Care. We’re right here in Green Bay. Give us a call, check us out online, or just stop in. Take care of yourselves out there — and I’ll talk to you next time.