The Spine–Nervous System Connection: Your Body’s Emotional Highway

Your spine does more than hold you upright. It protects your nervous system and serves as a main communication highway between your brain and the rest of your body. And in this episode of Healing Beyond the Symptoms, Dr. Leah Hahn D.C., explains something most people have never been taught: your spine also plays a powerful role in how you process emotions and heal.

Dr. Leah Hahn, DC, explores how stress and emotional overwhelm can create protective muscle bracing around the spine, shaping posture and creating tension patterns over time. She connects this to the research of neuroscientist Dr. Candace Pert and the “molecules of emotion,” explaining why emotions aren’t just “in your head”—they have biochemical and muscular components that the body can store, especially around the spine.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why the spine is a nervous system communication channel (not just “posture”)
• How emotions shape posture, breath, and muscle tone
• Why stress can create long-term spinal and fascial tension patterns
• The Candace Pert connection: emotions as biochemical messengers throughout the body
• How Network Spinal supports regulation, adaptability, and emotional release
• Practical strategies to support emotional healing through the spine (posture, movement, breath, joy, epsom salt)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Spine's Role in Healing

00:44 Understanding the Spine and Nervous System Connection

01:30 Emotional Impact on the Spine

02:30 Trapped Emotions and Their Physical Manifestations

05:25 Healing Through Nervous System-Based Chiropractic Care

13:04 Case Study: Overcoming Chronic Issues

14:57 Practical Tips for Emotional Healing

18:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts