When Your Spine Is Misaligned but Doesn’t Hurt: What’s Really Going On?

One of the most common questions I hear is something like this: “How can someone have a curved or misaligned spine and still not feel any pain?” It’s a great question, and the answer helps shine a light on how our amazing bodies work.

As a chiropractor, I often talk about how spinal misalignments can cause discomfort or contribute to health problems. But here’s something important to understand. Just because a spinal bone looks out of place doesn’t automatically mean it’s causing trouble. Some misalignments are more concerning than others, and some don’t cause pain at all.

Let me explain. Every vertebra in your spine has the potential to irritate nearby nerves if it isn’t moving the way it should. But whether or not you feel pain depends less on how straight your spine looks and more on how well it functions. I’ve seen people with perfectly aligned spines suffering from intense back or neck pain. In those cases, the pain was caused by a vertebra that had locked up and stopped moving properly, even though everything looked “normal” on the outside.

On the flip side, I’ve worked with people whose spines had very noticeable curves. You’d think they’d be in agony, but they felt just fine. Why? Because even though their spines weren’t textbook straight, the joints were moving well and not pressing on any nerves. Their bodies had adapted beautifully.

This is why, in my practice, I don’t rely solely on how the spine looks. I focus on how it moves and how it functions. Through hands-on exams, gentle motion testing, and sometimes x-rays, I look for the areas where movement is restricted or nerves are irritated. That’s where the magic of chiropractic comes in.

Chiropractic adjustments are designed to restore proper motion and ease nerve pressure. The goal isn’t just to make your spine look perfect. It’s to help your body feel and function at its very best.

So if you or a loved one has been told you have a misaligned or curved spine but aren’t feeling any pain, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem. But it also doesn’t hurt to have a professional check to make sure everything is moving well and supporting your health. Because when your spine moves as it should, your whole body benefits.

Here's to keeping your spine happy, healthy, and moving with ease.