Why Your Spinal Pain Keeps Coming Back (And What You Can Do About It)

Maybe you’ve tried stretching, using heating pads, or reaching for yet another OTC pain reliever. Perhaps you’ve even taken time off from your morning walks around Zilker Park, hoping rest would solve the problem. Yet here you are again, dealing with that familiar ache in your neck or the nagging discomfort in your lower back that just won’t quit.

If you can relate, it may be that the root cause of your pain hasn’t been fully addressed. Many people in Mueller find themselves caught in a pattern where pain fades for a while, only to return weeks or months later.

The Real Reason Spinal Pain Returns

Most people approach back and neck pain as something to “get rid of” rather than something to truly resolve. They take medication to dull the sensation or modify their activities to avoid triggering discomfort. While these strategies might provide short-term relief, they don’t address what’s actually causing the pain.

Spinal pain typically stems from misalignments in the vertebrae that create ongoing stress on surrounding muscles, ligaments, and nerves. Your body is remarkably adaptable (sometimes too much so), and it will compensate for these misalignments by shifting how you move and hold your posture. Over time, these compensations create new problems, and the cycle continues.

“Many people don’t realize they’ve been managing pain for years without addressing the underlying structural issue,” Dr. Fisher explains. “Identifying those misalignments is often an important step toward understanding what’s really causing their discomfort.”

How Daily Activities Aggravate Spinal Issues

Your spine faces constant demands throughout the day. Sitting at a desk. Looking down at your phone. Carrying groceries or lifting kids. When your vertebrae aren’t properly aligned, these everyday activities place uneven pressure on your spinal structures, leading to inflammation, muscle tension, and nerve irritation.

What makes this challenging is that the activities causing problems are often unavoidable. This is why addressing the structural foundation of your spine becomes so important.

What Chiropractic Care Does Differently

Chiropractic adjustments work by restoring proper alignment to your spine, which reduces pressure on nerves, decreases inflammation, and allows your body to move the way it was designed to. Rather than masking pain with medications, this approach focuses on correcting the mechanical dysfunction causing your symptoms.

“What I love about chiropractic care is that we’re working with your body’s natural ability to heal itself,” Dr. Fisher notes. “When your spine is aligned properly and your nervous system can communicate effectively, your body has an incredible capacity to resolve pain on its own.”

Beyond Pain Relief

What often surprises people is how improving spinal health affects other aspects of their well-being. Better posture leads to improved breathing. Reduced nerve interference can enhance sleep quality. When your body isn’t constantly fighting against misalignments, you often notice increased energy and better mood.