Is Your Back Pain due to Spinal Stenosis Causing Memory Problems? The Brain-Spine Connection Explained

the constant search for relief. But what if your back pain is doing more damage than you realize? It could actually be impacting how well your brain works.

That brain fog you experience during a bad back pain day? It's real, not just in your head. A new study examining older adults across the United States revealed a striking link: people with spinal pain were significantly more likely to experience cognitive difficulties. (1) This isn't just about being troubled by pain—there appears to be a real connection between spinal health and how well your brain works.

Think about it: your spine isn't just a structural support system. It houses your central nervous system, the communication highway between your brain and body. When spinal stenosis upsets that system, the consequences can spread far beyond your back.

Before you worry, here's some good news: research suggests relatively simple interventions that might help. Studies have shown that daily multivitamin supplementation can boost cognitive function in older adults. One study found that elderly women taking a combined multivitamin, mineral, and herbal supplement for just 16 weeks reported measurable memory improvements. (2) Similar research in older men demonstrated that comprehensive nutritional supplementation positively affected both cognition and blood biomarkers. (3)

While these studies didn't solely focus on back pain sufferers, they suggest that assisting your body nutritionally could give cognitive benefits—potentially counteracting some of the mental fog that accompanies chronic pain.

Now, here's where chiropractic treatment enters the picture. If your spine problems are impacting your thinking, fixing the spine issue should help your brain too, right? A documented case of an 80-year-old woman with chronic low back pain showed significant improvement through specialized chiropractic techniques, specifically modified Cox® Technic flexion distraction decompression performed in a gentle, side-lying position. (4) By reducing chronic spinal pain, chiropractic spinal manipulation may help your entire system—including your brain.

If you're living with back pain and noticing that your memory or focus isn't what you’re used to, you don't have to accept it as inevitable. Consider a two-pronged approach: begin with a quality daily multivitamin to sustain your nutritional foundation, and consult with your chiropractor at Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers about how spinal manipulation helps address the root causes of your discomfort. Your back—and your brain—will thank you.

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr.  Cameron McConville  on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates relieving, gentle care of spinal stenosis with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.