Stress can create a frustrating cycle of tension and discomfort in your spine and whole body. Understanding the link between stress and back pain—and adopting effective coping strategies—can help you manage pain more effectively and improve your overall well-being.

How Stress Contributes to Back Pain

When you're stressed, your body reacts by tensing muscles, increasing inflammation, and heightening pain perception. Over time, this can lead to chronic pain, stiffness, and discomfort in the back and neck.

Back and neck pain can be disruptive, whether due to an injury, chronic condition, or postsurgical recovery. One of the most common questions spine patients ask is whether to use heat or ice for pain relief. Both therapies can be effective, but knowing when to apply each is key to optimizing recovery and reducing discomfort.

Problems with your spine negatively affect your life in many ways. Chronic pain from spinal issues isn’t always manageable through conservative means. If you’re still in pain, spine surgery is often the next step in your treatment plan. To prepare for your spinal procedure, follow these five crucial steps before surgery.

Steps to Prepare for Spine Surgery

1. Prioritize Your Health

Overuse injuries occur when repetitive stress is placed on a muscle, joint, or tendon without adequate recovery time. These injuries are common among youth and adult athletes who train frequently or specialize in a single sport. While overuse injuries can disrupt performance, they are often preventable with the right strategies.

We are dedicated to helping athletes stay in the game safely. Focused on care for athletes, our experts are proud to provide what you need to know about overuse injuries, including signs, prevention, and treatment.

Weekend warriors are recreational athletes who engage in intense physical activity during their time off—and often face a higher risk of injuries due to irregular training schedules and overexertion. However, with the right approach, you can maintain your active lifestyle while reducing the likelihood of injury.

Our experts believe that prevention is the best medicine. Whether you’re playing sports, running, or exploring the outdoors, these strategies can help you stay safe: