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

If chronic back pain or spinal stenosis is part of your everyday life, you understand the frustration—the aching, the limitations, the endless quest for something that actually works.. But here's something you might not have considered: your back pain could be impacting more than just your physical comfort. It might actually be affecting how your brain functions.

It’d not just your imagination if you've felt mentally foggy on days when your back pain flares up. A recent study examining older adults across the United States revealed a striking link: people with spinal pain were significantly more likely to notice cognitive difficulties. (1) This is not just about being distracted by pain—there appears to be a real connection between spinal health and how well your brain works.

Think about it: your spine is not only a structural support system. It houses your central nervous system, the communication highway between your brain and body. When spinal stenosis disrupts that system, the consequences can spread far beyond your back.

Before you get too worried, there's encouraging news: research shows some surprisingly simple solutions might make a real difference. 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 showed that comprehensive nutritional supplementation positively impacted both cognition and blood biomarkers. (3)

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

Now, this is where your chiropractor's care can help. 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 with specialized chiropractic techniques, specifically modified Cox® Technic flexion distraction decompression performed in a gentle, side-lying position. (4) By decreasing chronic spinal pain, chiropractic spinal manipulation may help your whole system—including your brain.

If you're dealing with back pain and noticing that your memory or focus isn't what you’re used to, it doesn't have to be your new normal. Think about addressing it two ways: begin with a quality daily multivitamin to support your nutritional foundation, and consult with your chiropractor at Johnson Chiropractic about how spinal manipulation helps address the root causes of your discomfort. Your back—and your brain—will be so grateful.

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