Is stress making your pain worse, or is your pain elevating your stress? What if the answer is both?

This episode unpacks the powerful mind-body connection between chronic pain and mental health, bringing light to the invisible ways they interact. Because here’s the truth: mental health and physical health are deeply connected; and when one suffers, the other often does too.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, VSI Neurologist, Dr. Ella Akkerman, and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Yash Mehta, dig into the hidden ways emotional experiences like burnout, anxiety, grief, and trauma don’t just live in your head—they also echo throughout the body as tension, fatigue, migraines, chronic pain, and more.

Get ready to learn:

• How emotional distress can speak through the body as physical pain

• Why so many people suffer in silence, and how to change the narrative

• What real, healing conversations between doctors and patients can look like

• Actionable ways to care for both your mind and body—starting today

If you’re living in pain that no one seems to understand, this conversation offers clarity and validation and will arm you with practical tools to take the next step.

The body keeps score, and recognizing that connection is the first step toward experiencing relief.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app
Watch the full episode on YouTube by searching “VSI Spine”
For additional support and resources visit vsispine.com