For many people living with pain, chiropractic care, massage, physical therapy, acupuncture and medication are all possible avenues toward a better quality of life. Looking at the scientific literature, though, strength training has some of the strongest clinical evidence supporting its use in managing pain.

Strength training tends to conjure images of bulging muscles and grunting gym-goers, but exercise scientists now encourage setting those notions aside. Working with resistance – whether a light dumbbell or your own body weight – may be among the best ways to support pain-free, lifelong physical function and fitness.

Muscle strength naturally declines with age unless you work to preserve it. According to a 2018 CDC report, fewer than 25% of Americans over 45 engage in regular strength training. Older adults often worry about injury, and some people worry about bulking up – but without strengthening work, muscle function can decline substantially over the decades. Starting around age 30, people can lose roughly 3% to 5% of lean muscle mass per decade, and pre-existing spine dysfunctions only compound the problem.

Strength training makes daily activities easier, from climbing stairs to raking leaves, and offers numerous health benefits that can help reduce chronic pain. Stronger muscles require less relative effort, which helps prevent fatigue. People with conditions such as fibromyalgia were once told to avoid resistance exercise, but research now demonstrates its safety and benefit. There is also substantial evidence that strength training helps with the back and neck pain most people experience at some point in life.

Strength Training and Back Pain

It may seem counterintuitive, but strength training can actually help reduce back pain. The goal isn’t to bulk up like a bodybuilder – it’s to develop strength, especially in the back and core. The muscles of the back help keep the spine moving as it should, and weak back or abdominal muscles can leave you more prone to strain.

Strong, healthy back muscles also support good posture, and in some cases chronic back pain stems from poor posture. Strengthening only one area isn’t enough, though. It’s important to build the core and legs as well. Overall body strength can mean less back pain and better performance of everyday tasks like lifting.

Strength Training and Nerves

Scientists have long understood that early gains in strength involve changes in the connection between the brain and muscles. The process appears to involve bundles of neurons and nerve fibers that carry commands from the brain’s motor cortex – which controls muscular contraction – down through the spinal cord to the muscles. As those commands become swifter and more forceful through consistent training, the muscles respond with stronger contractions.

This means size isn’t everything. Lifting heavier loads engages the nervous system more than lifting light weights, even with fewer repetitions, prompting the nerves to carry more signal from brain to muscle. So whether you’re a weekend warrior or a competitive athlete, training with higher loads tends to produce greater strength adaptations. Research in neuroscience supports the idea that strength is not purely about muscle mass – much of it comes from increased neural drive to the muscles, which connects strength to some of the most fundamental systems in the body.

How Chiropractic Relates to the Nervous System

Chiropractic adjustments aim to improve how the body functions by influencing the central nervous system. Chiropractors have long observed a range of changes in patients following care, from feeling and focusing better to improvements in movement and coordination.

A growing body of research has explored these effects. A 2016 study in the journal Neural Plasticity found that spinal adjustment may influence sensorimotor processing in the brain. Subsequent studies have examined how spinal manipulation may affect the central processing of pain, and a small 2019 study reported short-term improvements in strength and spinal excitability among stroke patients following a chiropractic session. This research is still emerging, and larger trials are needed, but it points to a meaningful relationship between spinal care and nervous-system function.

In Summary

At its foundation, chiropractic care works with the nervous system through adjustments to the spine and other joints. When the spine and body are out of balance, it can affect how the nervous system functions, contributing to pain, reduced mobility and other issues. Adjustments aim to support healthy movement and nervous-system function.

Care goes beyond the spine alone – chiropractors also address the arms, legs, neck and hips, all of which work together to support a well-functioning nervous system. Combined with strength training, regular chiropractic care can be part of a strategy to keep the body moving and resilient.