The Science Behind Somatic Healing: Can It Finally Break the Cycle of Chronic Low Back Pain?

Low back pain is one of the most common health complaints in the world. Nearly 80% of us will experience it at some point, and for many, it turns into a chronic problem that disrupts sleep, work, and even simple daily activities. Too often, people are told to rely on painkillers, injections, or even surgery—treatments that may mask symptoms but don’t always address the root cause.

But here’s the thing: pain is never just physical. It’s influenced by our emotions, our stress levels, and the ways our bodies and brains process past experiences. That’s why I was fascinated by a recent study that looked at a somatic healing for low back pain. The mind-body technique is called Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET) and it has been around for over 30 years.

What Is NET?

NET is a mind-body approach that blends traditional Chinese medicine, manual muscle testing, and homeopathy. The core idea is simple but profound: unresolved stress can get “stuck” in the body, fueling pain and inflammation long after the stressful event has passed.

When you think about it, this makes sense. How many times have you remembered a difficult event, and your body reacted as if it were happening all over again—heart racing, muscles tightening, stress hormones flooding? NET helps break that cycle by gently releasing those old emotional imprints so the body can reset and heal.

The Study on Somatic Healing and Chronic Low Back Pain

Published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, researchers in Australia put NET to the test in the most rigorous way possible—a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 112 patients suffering from chronic low back pain.

One group received eight NET sessions over four weeks. The other group received placebo sessions designed to look similar but without the active elements of NET.

The researchers measured pain, disability, quality of life, and even blood markers of inflammation—because stress and inflammation go hand in hand.

The Results

The NET group experienced remarkable improvements compared to the placebo group:

• Less pain and disability: Participants reported meaningful drops in pain that lasted up to six months.

• Better quality of life: They scored higher on measures of energy, emotional well-being, physical function, and vitality.

• Lower inflammation: Blood tests showed reductions in key inflammatory markers like CRP, TNF-alpha, and interleukins—molecules linked to pain, depression, and chronic disease.

  
  

In short, people didn’t just feel better. Their bodies showed measurable shifts toward healing.

Why This Matters

This study underscores something holistic medicine has been saying for years: the mind and body are not separate. Emotional stress is not just “in your head”—it creates real, measurable changes in your biology that can fuel chronic pain and disease.

Using somatic healing to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of chronic back pain through approaches like NET, we can open the door to deeper healing—not just for back pain, but potentially for other inflammation-driven conditions as well.

My Takeaway

If you’re struggling with chronic back pain, consider that the root cause may not just be in addressing your physical body. Stress and unprocessed emotions could be contributing more than you realize. NET isn’t a replacement for traditional medical care, but it may be a powerful complement—helping to reduce pain, calm inflammation, and restore balance in both body and mind.

As always, healing happens best when we look at the whole person—biology, psychology, and lifestyle together. I am excited for the future of somatic healing for chronic low back pain. That’s the future of medicine, and studies like this bring us one step closer.

Call or Text (424) 413-3734 to book a session.

In health,

Dr. Mina