Can Constipation Cause Back Pain

Constipation and back pain. They may seem unrelated but they can definitely be related! Sure the straining from trying to go may cause back pain but there are some other things that may be more related between the two of them. If you have struggled with constipation for a long period of time then more often than not you also have some long standing back pain along with a variety of other issues. Constipation is obviously a digestive problem. A lot of people who struggle with it have often tried a variety of different things to get rid of it without having much success.

So why might you have back pain if you also have constipation. As we mentioned it can be due to straining and engaging a lot of pelvic and low back muscles, it can also be due to a back up in the large intestine but what actually causes this? What controls the digestive process?

The brain obviously controls all functions of the body! It does this through the spinal cord and nerves. The brain sends messages through the spinal cord and transmits them to specific cells, tissues, muscles, and organs using nerves. It’s important that these messages not only get to the correct location correctly but that they are also getting back to the brain how they’re supposed to! If the messages are impeded in any way the function of that cell, tissue, muscle, or organ is going to be impeded.

Furthermore the nervous system is divided into a parasympathetic side and a sympathetic side. The parasympathetic side is in charge of the rest and digest mode while the sympathetic side is in charge of the fight of flight mode. It is important we have a healthy relationship between the 2 of these. If we are chronically stuck in one or the other we are going to have issues with our digestive system. It has been shown that people with constipation have a heightened sympathetic nervous system. This means that we are experiencing chronic fight or flight. When our body is in this state we have tension throughout the entire body, not just the digestive system. This is why constipation and back pain go hand in hand. Chronic pain and inflammation are also linked to the body being stuck in a sympathetic state!

This also causes the messages from the brain to get somewhat scrambled. There can be a traffic jam of information making it so messages aren’t getting to and from the brain correctly. This causes the functioning of the brain and digestive system to not function properly. The brain or digestive system can only function as well as the messages being received by them. So if the brain is also sending messages of fight or flight, that is going to stop the body from digesting correctly.

How Do We Fix This?

The main way that we help people with constipation and back pain at The Specific Chiropractic Center Naples is by addressing the nervous system. As we mentioned above the nervous system is the master control system of the body. If this isn’t working properly a lot of things in the body may not be working properly. We use a tool called infrared computerized thermography which allows us to do a functional test of the nervous system at every visit. This helps us determine whether the nervous system is working properly or stuck in a pattern that isn’t healthy.

By doing this work we help the nervous system get out of a place of fight or flight which may be causing constipation and back pain, and bring it to a balanced state of rest and digest. Bringing the body back into this state can help create proper digestion and fix issues like constipation along with chronic pain.

Something else that is important to look at is what we are eating. Sometimes we need to reset our entire microbiome to help with proper digestion as well. One of the best ways to start doing that is by eating foods that aren’t inflammatory. I always like to tell people to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. This is because the perimeter of the grocery store is where the food that can perish is located. Most foods that can sit on shelves for long periods of time are packed with preservatives that cause inflammation within the body.

If you are interested in learning more about how to fix your microbiome and gut lining you need to check out gapdiet.com. This website has a ton of great information and if you’re up for it order the book and dive in!

In the long run constipation can cause back pain and a lot of it stems from nervous system dysfunction. If the nervous system is stuck in a fight or flight state it’s not only going to cause constipation but will also cause tension and inflammation throughout the entire body. If you’re struggling with constipation it is important to get your nervous system checked out to make sure that it is functioning properly. At The Specific we can definitely check that for you and determine if what we do here would be able to help you out. If that is something that you’d be interested in don’t hesitate to reach out, we provide complimentary consultations for anyone who might be interested. If you aren’t local we may also be able to help you find someone that could help you out!

Learn more.

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