Valentine’s Day is coming up, and who doesn’t like a celebration of love, connection, and intimacy?
For some people, however, it can also stir up emotional stress, heartbreak, or unresolved feelings. What’s less talked about is how those emotions don’t just stay in our heads. They can show up in the body, particularly in the mid-back.
The mid-back (aka thoracic spine) is closely connected to posture, breathing, and the autonomic nervous system. When someone experiences emotional stress like grief, heartbreak, rejection, or prolonged tension, the body often responds by tightening and guarding. We may have felt your shoulders round forward, breathing becomes shallow, and the thoracic spine loses mobility. Over time, this can feel like stiffness, dull aches, sharp discomfort, or a constant “tight” feeling between the shoulder blades.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explores this mind-body connection in his book *The Body Keeps the Score*, explaining how emotional experiences, especially unresolved ones, can be stored in the nervous system and expressed physically.
Even when the mind thinks it has “moved on,” the body may still be holding protective patterns shaped by stress or emotional pain.
Heartbreak and emotional strain can also activate a chronic stress response. When the nervous system stays in a heightened state, muscles remain tense, joints move less freely, and pain sensitivity increases. The mid-back often takes the hit because it sits at the crossroads of posture, breathing mechanics, and emotional body language.
Think of how our posture “collapse” when we’re sad or guarded.
Chiropractic care doesn’t just focus on bones, it helps restore healthy movement, improve nervous system communication, and release areas where the body may be holding unnecessary tension. Gentle thoracic adjustments, mobility work, and breathing-based strategies can help the body feel safe enough to let go of old stress patterns.
This Valentine’s Day, consider a broader definition of heart health. It’s not just emotional or cardiovascular, it’s physical too! If you’ve noticed mid-back stiffness, tension, or recurring aches during stressful or emotionally charged times, it may be your body asking for support.
We at Back2Balance would love to help you with this. Please get in touch with us at 01273206868, or in**@*************co.uk