Negative thoughts strain your spine
Negative thoughts due to cognitive dissonance can strain your spine, leading to neck discomfort and back pain. One speaks of cognitive dissonance, for example, when you know exactly how good exercise is for you, but you skip the fitness class to spend the evening on the sofa.
Or if you decide to eat less sweets, but then reach for the next best candy bar. Most of the time you don’t feel so good afterwards, have a bad conscience and therefore negative thoughts – the typical result of cognitive dissonance. The dilemma of cognitive dissonance can also affect physical health — like your spine.
Mental stress increases stress on the spine
Suppose you are in the middle of a move, packing and lugging boxes. Then one and the same box can have very different effects on your spine – depending on how you are doing mentally and what you are thinking at the moment.
You actually wanted to hire a moving company. But a friend persuaded you not to do that. He would help you with his buddy and you could save a lot of money. They didn’t have a good feeling because he’s not exactly the most reliable, but then they let themselves be persuaded. Shortly before the agreed time on the day of the move, you receive a message: “Can’t make it, sorry.” Suddenly the boxes seem to weigh a lot more than before. This is not just imagination.
Negative thoughts can cause neck and back pain
In a study by scientists from Ohio State University in Columbus/Ohio (March 2023 in the specialist magazine Ergonomics) showed that psychological stress from cognitive dissonance when carrying a load results in greater stress on the vertebrae in the neck and lower back than does the same load without psychological stress/negative thoughts. The greater the cognitive dissonance of the study participants, the greater the load on the spine ( 1 ). The study results show that cognitive dissonance and the resulting negative thoughts could be a previously unknown risk factor for neck and low back pain.
“Because in the study the increased stress on the spine occurred even with a light weight, you can imagine what happens when someone has to lift heavy weights or solve more complex tasks,” says William Marras, study author and professor of integrated systems engineering, the am College of Medicine in the fields of neurosurgery, orthopedics as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Ohio State University is working.
Study: How negative thoughts and feelings strain the spine
17 research participants – nine men and eight women aged 19 to 44 – were asked to lift a light box and place it in a specific spot. Initially, people received positive feedback, that is, they were praised for doing everything right. In the next part of the research, people were criticized during the crate campaign, i.e. they received negative feedback (even though they basically did everything right).
The level of cognitive dissonance (negative thoughts and feelings and how these changed during the experiment) was assessed for each participant using blood pressure and heart rate. The subjects were also asked about their feelings, i.e. whether they felt more strong and motivated or more ashamed. Specific sensors recorded stress in the neck and lower back—both vertebral compression and vertebral movement (shear) from side to side (lateral), and forward and backward.
Load on the spine increases especially in the neck
Compared to loading after positive feedback, after negative feedback, neck spine loading increased by 11.1 percent for compression, 9.4 percent for fore/aft vertebral movement, and 19.3 percent for vertebral lateral movement Percent.
In the lumbar region (lower back)—an area that consistently bears the brunt of spinal loading—load increased by 1.7 percent in compression and 2.2 percent in shear.
“We thought we would see effects of cognitive dissonance (negative thoughts and feelings) particularly in the lower back. But now we have found a strong reaction in the neck,” said Marras.
Increasing the load by a few percent doesn’t sound like much. But Marras explained: “Our tolerance to shear forces is much, much lower than to compression.” And if you repeatedly overload your neck and lumbar spine in everyday life or at work due to psychological stress, then this can have consequences.
Psychological stress alone can also cause neck and back problems
For decades, the Marras Institute has been investigating the everyday and professional stresses that the spine is exposed to. Marras found out about 20 years ago that psychological stress can affect the spine. In the study design at the time, the scientists faked an argument in the presence of the participants.
For some participants, this increased the load on the spine by up to 35 percent. Because when you’re under psychosocial stress, you tend to tighten the muscles in your core, which in turn puts stress on your spine. So, even while entertaining negative thoughts, one does not have to carry a load to stress the spine. Psychological stress alone is enough to impair neck and back health.
Transform negative thoughts – for the sake of the spine
Marras is also the principal investigator of a clinical trial ( 2 ) investigating different treatments for low back pain. The spectrum of therapy ranges from medication and exercise to cognitive behavioral therapy. The latter in particular is intended to help eliminate the consequences of cognitive dissonance on the spine. The study is expected to end in March 2024.
“We’re trying to figure out all the different and really complex factors that affect spinal disorders,” Marras said. “Just as the entire system has to function in a car in order for it to function properly, the same applies to the spine. One might be in peak physical condition, but if one has negative thoughts, e.g. B. in the form of cognitive dissonance, then the spine cannot remain healthy.”
Since it is not at all easy to stay in a positive mood all the time and only have happy or at least neutral thoughts, there are various methods that help to transform negative thoughts and take their power away, e.g. B. the self-help method The Work by Byron Katie or generally more mindfulness in everyday life.