The Spiritual Meaning Of Back Pain: Unlock Pain’s Energetic Power
Pain Pushes Until The Vision Pulls.
Michael Beckwith
An “Intelligent” New Perspective On Back Pain
Back pain and/or spine pain is often viewed as a problem that’s getting in the way—something to fix so we can get back to making our life look the way our conditioned mind thinks it’s supposed to look.
But from a spiritual perspective, not only is pain bound-up energy, it’s intelligent energy poised to impart its wisdom on our bodies and lives.
Here’s a video I made about being curious about back pain as bound-up, intelligent energy:
If you prefer to listen to audio podcasts, the BioSoul Integration Podcast and this episode can be found wherever you listen to your audio podcasts:
In this post, we’ll explore the deeper meaning behind back pain and how it can be a force for transformation.
We’ll look at how back pain is often tied to mental and emotional blockages.
We’ll also debunk three common myths about healing back pain that keep us stuck in suffering.
Once these are exposed, you’ll see pain not as an enemy but as a source of intelligence that can lead to deeper alignment and connection with your true self.
The Spiritual Reason For Common Idiopathic Back Pain
Of course there are reasons for back pain that may require urgent attention.
In the case of acute pain due to an injury or accident, or pain that might be related to an infection, such as a kidney infection that refers to your back, for example, it’s important to address these issues right away.
It’s your responsibility to find out if the problem is urgent or not.
That being said, approximately 30 million doctor visits occur each year for back pain, and in 90% of these cases, the advice is typically to take pain relievers and rest at home, as most back pain is the kind that resolves on its own.
That’s the kind we’re talking about here.
The medical community refers to this as idiopathic back pain, meaning the specific cause is unknown.
I propose that there is a spiritual cause and a purpose behind this kind of pain, after all.
By the way here’s an in-depth blog post on the spiritual meaning of lower back pain, specifically.
Back Pain As A Call To Our Next Stage Of Evolution
Throughout our lives we will encounter various developmental stages that will require that we grow and evolve.
A complex web of physical, mental, emotional, and energetic connections develops within us, allowing us to walk and talk as children.
Similarly, as we reach puberty, this ongoing evolution encourages us to form relationships, bear and raise our own children, and eventually embrace the role of elders.
The unfolding of these transitions often prompt a nudge from our bodies and lives.
Parts of ourselves that we may have suppressed, and the life force energy associated with them, begin to surface as these new eras dawn.
This is life and our bodies conspiring to nudge us toward the next stage of our development.
Life is saying, “You needed to suppress these parts of yourself in order to stay safe at one point, but in order to work on the next stage of your life, you’re going to need to come into relationship with these parts and their energy.”
As this energy of change rises to the surface, there are other parts that will resist, creating internal pressure that manifests as a health crisis, emotional distress or physical issues like back pain.
In this context then, the role of back pain is to stop us in our tracks, demanding our attention and forcing us to focus on the sensations in our bodies so we can integrate parts of us we’ve suppressed.
When we bring conscious attention to our pain, we catalyze this process of integration between our disparate parts, extracting valuable insights and activating the fuel of the bound up energy for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual change.
Origins Of The Self-Fragmentation Underlying Back Pain
At Conception
How does this inner separation, along with the resulting internal conflict and pressure, come about in the first place?
This question lies at the heart of many challenges we face.
At conception, an energetic blueprint (link connects to an in-depth blog post and video I created on the subject) emerges that forms the energetic portion of our early nervous system—what I like to call the “primal brain.”
While this energetic template is established immediately, the physical primal brain structures it guides begin to develop 2-4 weeks after conception, giving rise to the brain, brainstem, heart, and gut.
As our primal brain senses into the energetic back-office of the people around it, it discovers cultural messages about what aspects of ourselves are acceptable and what aspects are not.
Due to a strong, instinctual drive to fit in with the herd, we adopt similar patterns in our own body and being.
By the age of seven, many of these patterns are already established, impacting us physically, psychologically, and spiritually.
Physical, Psychological And Spiritual Manifestations
Where these survival patterns are concerned, muscle tension serves as a container for energy our system deems unsafe.
Postural distortions redirect and restrict the flow of energy.
Emotional energy is curtailed because a certain range and depth of expression is considered unsafe and thus restricted.
Every part of the emotional field is connected to every other part; and so limiting expression on one end also constrains it on the other end.
As we restrict our ability to feel grief, fear, or anger, we also constrain our capacity for joy, love, and self-expression.
We often don’t realize how much our emotions influence our thoughts.
If we can’t experience joy and awe, it’s challenging to understand the spiritual nature our true selves and the spiritual essence of the world around us.
Consequently, our thoughts will reinforce the limited expression of ourselves and the limited view of nature that we’ve adopted.
Behavioral Manifestation
This configuration of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energies shapes our behavior, which is why, for many of us, the way we present ourselves to the world only reflects a limited version of our true potential.
However, the limited way we’re expressing ourselves and this limited way of being goes against the nature of Nature.
Life constantly uses the people and circumstances we encounter to push us toward greater consciousness and evolution.
The gap between who life is calling us to become and how we’re currently showing up creates tension or friction, often manifesting as various forms of suffering in our body and mind.
Back Pain Healing Myths To Consider
Myth #1: The Location Of Pain Is A Good Indicator Of Where Or What The Problem Is
In reality, the location of pain is rarely a reliable indicator of where or what the problem actually is.
From a spiritual perspective, pain is inherently relational—it exists due to the dynamic relationships between different parts and aspects of your body and being.
Different segments of the spine are interrelated, with each having a relational counterpart in another area.
For instance, the pain you feel in your lower back might be the result of a contentious relationship between your low back and your cervical spine.
In this case the location of the pain is in your lower back but the problem is as much about your lower back as it is your neck.
Pain can also be tied to your emotional or mental state.
If it’s difficult to grasp how physical pain connects to emotional and mental energy fields, remember that pain is bound-up energy itself.
Think about how a good cry can bring relief from physical pressure in your body.
Have you ever had a persistent worry, only to feel a wave of relief when someone assured you that your concern wasn’t necessary?
Notice how that emotional and mental relief can translate into physical relaxation in your body.
The connections between your physical, emotional, and mental states are powerful and deeply intertwined.
Myth #2: Pain Means There’s A Problem
Especially if you’ve been engaging in spiritual practices or modalities of any kind, pain often signals that a part of you is waking up.
From an energetic and spiritual perspective, it’s actually a lack of awareness that creates problems.
Pain often arises in the areas of your body that are more alive or have more energy, but it’s connected to parts that are stuck or unable to move.
Pain can manifest when the flow of intelligent life force energy builds up, trying to break through areas of resistance.
Instead of seeing pain as a problem, it can be viewed as a sign that something within you is coming into greater awareness or vitality.
Myth #3: Healing Back Pain Means The Pain Will Go Away
When I speak of healing back pain, I don’t necessarily mean the pain will disappear.
Pain is designed to get our attention because something in the way we’re interacting with life is out of alignment with our true selves.
Our bodies and lives apply pressure, urging us to reconcile this tension.
Simply making the pain go away and returning to how things were isn’t just unsatisfying, it’s actually not possible, because life and pain aren’t related to each other in that way.
While relief is something we naturally seek, true healing lies in extracting the wisdom from the energy bound up in the pain.
The process of exploring these deeper layers—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually—leads to a richer understanding of ourselves.
This awareness can shift our internal state, which may cause the physical pain to recede, but that’s only one part of the journey.
Real resolution involves embracing these insights and aligning our lives accordingly, leading to a more holistic experience of wellness that goes beyond just the absence of discomfort.
Integrative Approaches To Healing Back Pain
Back Pain And The Triangle Of Healing
To effectively heal back pain, it’s essential to take a holistic approach that addresses the multi-dimensional nature of our experience.
This includes physical, emotional, and mental aspects, all of which play a role in how pain manifests and persists.
The concept of the “triangle of healing” illustrates this.
Each side of the triangle represents one of these dimensions: physical, emotional, and mental.
Focusing on just one side may provide temporary relief, but it won’t resolve the deeper, underlying patterns. The inertia stored in the other two sides will eventually reassert the problem.
For true transformation, we need to address at least two sides of the triangle simultaneously.
Combining Techniques And Modalities For Transformation
That’s why truly resolving back pain often requires combining different modalities that will each target multiple dimensions of the triangle.
Here are some examples of techniques that address two or more aspects:
- Massage Therapy + Mindfulness Meditation (Physical + Mental/Emotional)
- Chiropractic Care + Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Physical + Mental)
- Yoga + Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) (Physical + Emotional)
- Acupuncture + Talk Therapy (Physical + Emotional/Mental)
- Tai Chi + Guided Imagery (Physical + Mental/Emotional)
- Dance Therapy + Somatic Experiencing (Physical + Emotional)
- Nutritional Counseling + Stress Management Techniques (Physical + Mental/Emotional)
- Art Therapy + Biofeedback (Emotional + Physical/Mental)
Techniques For Activation And Integration
Some techniques are naturally integrative because they engage two or even all three legs of the healing triangle—physical, emotional, and mental—offering deeper, more comprehensive healing.
BioSoul Integration, the technique I’ve developed, is one such approach.
It combines the power of multiple modalities to address all the dimensions of pain.
These modalities include:
- Network Spinal Analysis: A chiropractic technique that works with the body’s energetic system, deepening the connection between the body and mind to facilitate healing and personal transformation.
- Parts Work: A therapeutic approach that helps individuals integrate fragmented parts of themselves, fostering a sense of wholeness and inner harmony.
- Brainspotting: By using eye positioning to access and process stored emotional energy, this technique supports deep emotional healing and growth.
- Mindfulness Meditation: This practice enhances our ability to stay present and explore the deeper layers of our experience, cultivating greater awareness, understanding, and inner peace.
By engaging the interconnected layers of our body and being, it provides a pathway for lasting transformation, helping individuals break free from limiting patterns and embrace a more authentic, pain-free life.
A Path to Embodied Healing
The spine serves as both a physical and energetic backbone, and pain in this area can be an invitation to deeper self-awareness and healing.
Back pain often carries deep spiritual significance, signaling a need for greater alignment between the body and soul.
In my Embodied Path Online Course: Eight Steps to Expressing Your Soul’s Essence, Purpose, and Calling, I guide you through gentle practices designed to release tension, particularly in the spine.
These six simple yoga poses focus on relaxation rather than strengthening, easing the nervous system’s protective mode and unlocking bound-up energy.
As Lao Tzu said, “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
In a world that often pushes us to power through, we sometimes forget the importance of relaxation.
These yoga poses, yogic exercises and mindfulness awareness practices aim to help your body release stored tension, allowing healing to unfold naturally.
The Ultimate Guide To Healing Back Pain
If It Didn’t Hurt: How To Resolve Your Pain And Discover Your Life Purpose is the ultimate guide to turning your pain into a portal to soul.
Pain is intelligent, bound up energy that really just wants to share its wisdom with you.
This book shares the knowledge gained from decades of experience in private practice, actual client stories of healing and exercises designed to help you experience what’s possible when you’re willing ot turn your heart and your attention toward your pain: It becomes a portal that leads to a place in you where the illusion of separateness collapses and the parts of your body and soul that have been disconnected are reunited.
Click the link to buy my book and/or read the first chapter for FREE instantly.
I look forward to helping you express more life,
Dr. Jay
About the Author Dr. Jay Uecker
Dr. Jay is the founder and owner of BioSoul Integration Center in Louisville, Colorado. He’s a chiropractor, a hands-on healer, an in-person and online soul integration coach and the author of If It Didn't Hurt: How To Resolve Your Pain And Discover Your Life Purpose. For two decades Dr. Jay has been helping people navigate their healing journeys. Over the course of that time he’s worked intimately with thousands of people. Those who are most drawn to Dr. Jay's work are those who are seeking to integrate and embody their soul's essence and their soul's gifts so they can share them with others. Life will keep nudging us in that direction, anyway. BioSoul Integration helps to speed up the process and smooth out the rough spots created by the innocent and unconscious resistance that lives in our primal brain and nervous system. Click the link to get your Personalized BioSoul Integration Guide.
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