It’s easy to take a healthy spine for granted — until chronic neck pain or back pain become part of your life. But physical discomfort is only one piece of the puzzle. A spinal disorder can affect your entire body in ways that might surprise you.
At Northeast Ohio Spine Center, orthopedic surgeon Mark Grubb, MD, provides comprehensive care for spinal conditions and injuries that contribute to chronic pain and other health problems. By uncovering the root cause of a spinal issue, Dr. Grubb can help you find lasting relief and enjoy a more active, fulfilling life.
Let’s take a closer look at how your spinal health affects your overall health.
Your spine houses and protects the spinal cord, the bundle of nerves that relays signals to and from your brain. When a spinal injury or misalignment puts pressure on these nerves, it can disrupt the flow of information between your brain and your body.
Nerve compression in your spine can cause localized pain as well as discomfort in other parts of your body, like the numbness and shooting leg pain of sciatica. But it can also interrupt signals that control vital systems and functions — which is why a healthy spine is so important.
When your spine is compromised, it can interfere with the signals between your brain and feet, affecting your balance and coordination. Conditions like cervical spinal stenosis can result in myelopathy, a disorder that causes numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, issues with dexterity, clumsiness, and poor balance.
Feeling unstable and off-balance increases your risk of falling and seriously injuring yourself. This instability can affect your mobility and keep you from enjoying the activities you love.
Your spine is the main pathway for signals from the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions like digestion, blood pressure, and body temperature. Spinal misalignments can disrupt these signals, causing issues you might not immediately associate with back pain.
For example, conditions like a disc herniation or a strained ligament can lead to digestive issues such as abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. Poor spinal health can also impact your cardiovascular system; studies indicate that chronic back pain may increase your risk of heart disease.
Chronic back or neck pain may make it nearly impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position. The constant tossing and turning can interrupt your sleep cycle, preventing you from entering the deep, restorative sleep stages your body needs for cellular repair and muscle recovery.
Without a sufficient amount of quality rest, your body never gets a chance to fully recover, leading to daytime fatigue and drowsiness. These feelings of exhaustion can worsen your pain perception and make you less likely to engage in physical activity, which creates an ongoing cycle of discomfort and poor sleep.
Living with chronic pain isn’t only a physical problem; it can also take a significant toll on your mental health. Pain keeps your body’s stress response in a state of high alert, disrupting the balance of mood-regulating neurochemicals in the brain.
Feelings of frustration, anxiety, and depression are common, especially if your mobility is limited or if you’re unable to participate in activities you once enjoyed.
If you’re dealing with persistent spinal pain, Dr. Grubb offers a wide range of treatment options to address the source of your discomfort and restore balance to your body. Schedule an appointment at Northeast Ohio Spine Center today to take the first step on your path to a healthier life.
