What if the nutrition and lifestyle changes you make to support your chronic back pain could also help improve your digestion, energy, sleep, headaches, brain fog, and how you feel overall?
That's one of the things I love most about the work I do.
Someone may initially come to me because their back keeps hurting. But the foundational work we do to support their back may also help address other chronic symptoms they've been living with, sometimes for years.
Maybe you also regularly deal with:
Bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, or indigestion
Low energy or afternoon crashes
Headaches
Difficulty sleeping
Brain fog
Skin problems
Difficulty managing your weight
Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or constantly “on”
If you're thinking, “Wait...I have back pain AND several of those,” this is exactly what I want you to understand:
The work we do together isn't only relevant to your back.
Nutrition affects far more than pain.
Sleep affects far more than pain.
Digestive health affects far more than pain.
Movement affects far more than pain.
Stress affects far more than pain.
When we start supporting these foundational areas of health, you may begin noticing improvements in other chronic symptoms, too.
That's the value of working on the whole person instead of focusing exclusively on the part that hurts.
Your Body Doesn't Operate as a Collection of Separate Parts
It's easy to think of each symptom as its own problem.
Your back hurts, so you see someone for your back.
Your stomach bothers you, so you address your digestion.
You're exhausted, so you reach for another cup of coffee.
You can't sleep, so you focus on sleep.
You get another headache, so you take something for your headache.
But your body's systems don't operate independently of one another.
Your digestive system doesn't operate independently of your immune system.
Your nervous system isn't disconnected from your digestive system. Have you ever been so nervous about a presentation, important conversation, or big event that you got “butterflies” in your stomach or suddenly had to run to the bathroom? That's your nervous system influencing your digestive system.
Your sleep affects recovery, metabolism, hormones, immune function, and how you experience pain.
What you eat provides the raw materials your body uses for energy, repair, and countless physiological processes.
Stress can influence sleep, digestion, eating behaviors, muscle tension, and pain perception.
Movement affects far more than muscles.
Everything is interconnected.
Think of Your Body Like a Tree
Picture your symptoms as the branches of a tree:
Back pain. Fatigue. Bloating. Headaches. Constipation. Brain fog. Poor sleep. Skin problems.
It's easy to spend years running from branch to branch trying to manage each symptom individually.
But underneath those branches are the roots and soil supporting the entire tree.
That's where foundational health comes in:
Nutrition. Digestion. Sleep. Stress. Movement. Recovery. Metabolic health. Nutrient status. Daily habits.
When we support those foundations, we aren't working on just one branch. We're supporting the whole tree.
What Could This Actually Look Like?
Imagine someone comes to me because her back pain keeps flaring up.
But when we look at her health as a whole, we discover that she also:
Rarely sleeps more than six hours
Crashes every afternoon
Has frequent digestive problems
Goes several days without a bowel movement
Experiences frequent headaches
Has been under significant stress
Eats very little protein, fiber, or nutrient-dense food
Now we have much more to work with than “my back hurts” and as we work on each of those areas, that same foundational helps to address her back pain.
We can look at her nutrition, digestion, sleep, energy patterns, stress, movement, recovery, and daily habits.
Over time, maybe she's eating more balanced, nutrient-dense meals. Her bowel movements become more regular. She's experiencing less digestive discomfort. Her energy is steadier. She's sleeping better. She's moving more. She's found better ways to manage stress.
She may have originally invested in coaching because of her chronic back pain.
But her back is not the only thing that benefits.
That's the ripple effect of foundational work.
How Much Have You Simply Learned to Live With?
Maybe you've been constipated for years.
Maybe you expect to crash around 2:00 every afternoon.
Maybe bloating after dinner is just part of your day.
Maybe headaches happen so often that you barely think about them anymore.
Maybe you haven't slept well in years.
Maybe brain fog has become something you laugh about.
And maybe your back pain is finally the thing that makes you say:
“I need to do something differently.”
That's where working on your health as a whole can become so valuable.
You may come to me thinking:
“I want help with my back.”
And months later realize:
“I'm taking better care of my entire body—and I feel better because of it.”
You May Come to Me for Your Back. But We Work on Much More Than Your Back.
As a Certified Functional Nutrition Coach, I'm not replacing your physician, physical therapist, chiropractor, or other healthcare providers.
My role is different.
I have the opportunity to step back and look at you:
Your health history.
Your nutrition.
Your digestion.
Your sleep.
Your energy.
Your stress.
Your movement.
Your symptoms.
Your daily patterns.
Then we work together to build realistic nutrition and lifestyle habits that support your health from the foundation up.
Because you are more than the part of your body that hurts.
And when we support those foundations, we're supporting far more than your back.
Ready to Look at the Bigger Picture?
If you're dealing with chronic back pain and struggling with things like digestive problems, low energy, poor sleep, headaches, brain fog, or other nagging symptoms, this is exactly the kind of whole-person work I do through Alera Functional Health.
[Learn More About Working With Me]
Not ready for one-on-one coaching? Start with my free guide, 7 Unexpected Reasons Your Back Pain Keeps Flaring Up (and remember - every tip in this guide addresses your foundational health, which will have lasting effects on your whole body).
If this resonates with you, follow along on Instagram at @alera_functional_health where I share more root-cause health and inflammation support strategies.
If you’d like a personalized plan that fits your life and helps you feel your best, I’m here to help. Interested in learning more about how you can optimize your health and finally find relief from your symptoms? Schedule a free Discovery Call with me by clicking here.
About The Author
Erin Briley is a Certified Functional Nutrition Coach and founder of Alera Functional Health. She helps people with recurring back pain look beyond the spine to identify often-overlooked factors that may be influencing how they feel, including nutrition, sleep, stress, digestion, inflammation, and recovery.
After experiencing years of chronic back pain, multiple surgeries, and a failed spinal fusion herself, Erin understands how frustrating it can be when pain continues to interfere with the things you want to do. Her approach focuses on practical, sustainable changes that support the whole body and help clients better understand their individual patterns, so they can spend less time organizing their lives around back pain.
