Can stress make back pain worse? Part 2: The psoas and muscle tone

In Part 1, we explored how stress changes the way we breathe and hold ourselves.

But stress doesn’t stop there.

It also changes the tone of the muscles that support the spine.

One of the most important of these is the psoas (pronounced so-az). Running deep within the body, it connects the lower back to the top of the thigh bone. It is one of the few muscles that bridges the upper and lower body, helping us walk, bend, balance and move with ease.

Because of its role in preparing us to move or protect ourselves, the psoas is closely involved in the body’s stress response. When the nervous system perceives a threat — whether that threat is a predator or a difficult email — this deep muscle becomes more active. It helps prepare us to curl inward, brace or run.

That response is entirely appropriate in an emergency.

The difficulty is that modern stress rarely arrives as a single event. More often, it is low-grade, persistent and unresolved. Deadlines, financial worries, caring responsibilities or simply living at a relentless pace can keep the nervous system on alert long after the moment has passed.

Few of us walk around visibly tense. Instead, the changes are subtle. The psoas may remain just a little more active than it needs to be. Other muscles begin to compensate. The hips lose some of their freedom, the pelvis moves a little differently, and the lower back can begin to feel stiff, held or locked.

These are rarely dramatic changes. They develop gradually, becoming so familiar that they simply feel normal.

This is one reason why stretching alone does not always resolve persistent back pain. If the nervous system still senses that the body needs to protect itself, muscles are likely to return to their previous level of tension.

The Buttafly Technique works with these deeper patterns of holding, helping to create the conditions in which the body no longer needs to brace. As the nervous system settles, movement often becomes easier and unnecessary muscular tension can begin to soften naturally.

In Part 3, we’ll explore another important piece of the puzzle: how chronic stress changes the body’s chemistry, increasing inflammation and influencing the way pain is experienced.

Ps. Missed Part 1? You can read it here: https://thebuttafly.com/can-stress-make-back-pain-worse-part-1

Also, for a one-to-one consultation with me in natural back care and spine health, book here.