Why Stretching Isn’t Fixing Low Back Pain in Overland Park
- Dr. Rory Dopps
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
And What Your Spine Actually Needs InsteadA guide by Dr. Rory Dopps | Overland Park, KS
If you’ve been stretching consistently and still wondering why stretching isn’t fixing low back pain in Overland Park, you’re not alone.
Many patients walk into my office frustrated because they’ve been disciplined. They stretch in the morning. They stretch after workouts. They stretch before bed. Some even follow online mobility programs.
And yet the tightness comes back.
The discomfort returns.
The stiffness never fully leaves.
This tells us something important: the issue likely isn’t a lack of effort — it’s a misunderstanding of what’s actually driving the pain.
Why Stretching Isn’t Fixing Low Back Pain in Overland Park
Stretching primarily addresses muscle length and temporary tension. But most chronic low back pain isn’t just a muscle length problem.
It’s a joint motion and nervous system regulation problem.
When a spinal joint loses even a small amount of motion, the surrounding muscles increase tension to stabilize and protect the area. That tension is not random. It’s protective.
The tightness you feel is often the body’s attempt to guard a segment that isn’t moving properly.
If you stretch the muscle without restoring the joint motion underneath, the nervous system simply re-engages that tension shortly afterward.
This is why relief from stretching often lasts minutes or hours — not weeks.
The Difference Between Tight Muscles and Guarding Muscles
Many people assume tightness means the muscle is shortened. Sometimes that’s true. But very often in chronic low back pain, the muscle is not short — it’s guarded.
Guarding occurs when the nervous system increases baseline muscle tone to create stability around a perceived vulnerability. That vulnerability is frequently a restricted joint or altered movement pattern.
Stretching a guarding muscle does not remove the reason it is guarding.
Until joint motion improves and the nervous system feels safe, the guarding returns.
This is one of the most common reasons stretching alone fails in persistent cases.
Why Movement Blocks Pain — But Precision Matters
Movement is one of the most powerful regulators of pain in the body. When joints move properly, they send continuous sensory input to the brain that helps calm pain pathways.
But here’s the key distinction:
General movement is helpful.Precise joint motion restoration is transformative.
You can stretch daily and still avoid the exact segment that has lost mobility. You can exercise regularly and still carry a subtle restriction that keeps the nervous system protective.
What your spine needs is not just more flexibility. It needs restored, coordinated motion in the right areas.
That is very different from aggressive stretching.
Why Stretching Feels So Good — Even When It Doesn’t Last
Stretching stimulates mechanoreceptors in muscles and fascia. These receptors send signals that temporarily reduce tension and improve circulation. That’s why you feel looser afterward.
It also activates parasympathetic nervous system activity, which can create a calming effect.
But if joint restriction remains, inflammatory chemistry and protective tone rebuild. The cycle restarts.
Stretching feels like progress because it reduces symptoms temporarily. But unless the underlying restriction is addressed, it doesn’t change the pattern.
The Stress Layer That Keeps Tightness Coming Back
Another layer many people overlook when asking why stretching isn’t fixing low back pain in Overland Park is stress physiology.
Chronic stress increases baseline muscle tone. Elevated stress hormones signal the body to remain prepared and protective. Recovery becomes less efficient. Sleep becomes lighter and less restorative.
When the nervous system remains in a heightened state, even well-executed stretching may not overcome the underlying tension.
This is especially common in high-responsibility adults between 40–60 who juggle work, family, and daily stressors. The body never fully resets.
Why I Use the DUTCH Hormone Test in Stubborn Cases
For patients who continue to experience recurring tightness despite movement work, I may use the DUTCH Hormone Test to evaluate stress hormone rhythm and recovery patterns.
If cortisol output is dysregulated, inflammation clearance and tissue repair can be impaired.
Muscle guarding may remain elevated. Pain sensitivity may stay heightened.
Understanding this layer allows us to support healing in a more comprehensive way rather than focusing on structure alone.
Learn more here:
What Actually Resolves the Pattern
When we restore joint motion and calm the nervous system, the body no longer needs to guard.
Muscles relax naturally.Circulation improves.Inflammation clears more efficiently.Recovery improves overnight.
Patients often say, “I still stretch, but I don’t feel dependent on it anymore.”
That’s the difference between temporary relief and functional correction.
Specific Supplement Protocol for Persistent Tightness
To support structural correction and stress resilience, I may recommend a targeted Designs for Health protocol:
Magnesium Buffered Chelate – supports neuromuscular relaxation and helps reduce protective muscle tone that keeps returning.
Inflammatone – supports a balanced inflammatory response when stiffness repeatedly builds in the same areas.
Adrenotone – supports healthy adrenal function and stress resilience when chronic tension is linked to prolonged stress load.
These recommendations are individualized and designed to complement corrective chiropractic care.
Final Thoughts
If you’re asking why stretching isn’t fixing low back pain in Overland Park, the answer usually isn’t that you’re not stretching enough.
It’s that stretching treats the symptom — not the restriction.
When we restore joint motion, support nervous system regulation, and improve recovery capacity, tightness no longer needs to return daily.
If you’re in Overland Park and dealing with persistent low back stiffness, I’d be happy to help you identify what’s actually driving it.