--- title: "Emotions stored in the back: upper, middle and lower back" description: "What emotions are stored in the back: feeling unsupported, guilt, money fears, being the pillar. Upper, middle and lower back, left vs right, what helps." canonical_url: "https://www.body-hemisync.com/guides/emotions-stored-in-the-back" --- Spiritually, the back holds the emotions of support: feeling unsupported by others or by life, carrying a load that is too heavy or not yours, and being the pillar that everyone leans on. Each level adds its own feeling. The upper back is linked with emotions carried in silence, the middle back with [guilt](/emotions/guilt) and a past you keep going back to, and the lower back with security, money and the [fear](/emotions/fear) of lacking. Back pain is very common and usually has a physical cause, but stress tenses the muscles too, so the body and the feelings often meet here. "I've got your back", "a stab in the back", "get off my back": everyday language already treats the back as the place of support and betrayal. This guide looks at what the back stands for in the emotional and spiritual approach, level by level, what is known about back pain and stress, and how to give your back some support of its own. For the whole body at a glance, see the [emotions body map](/guides/emotions-body-map). ## What emotions are stored in the back? Like the pillar of a building, the spine stands for support, protection and resistance. Spiritually, it is your physical and inner pillar: without it, you collapse. It also stands for your basic energy and for your flexibility and resilience in the face of what happens to you. The back is also where you put what you do not want to see. When you feel powerless in front of a person or a situation, you "turn your back" on it. Painful or confusing experiences, the past, what is unconscious, even dreams you no longer believe you can live, are placed symbolically behind you, out of sight.
Where you feel it The emotion it is often linked with Read more
Neck and top of the back Emotions carried without being expressed, having to think of everything Upper back and neck pain
Between the shoulder blades Feeling walked on, pressed down by authority Shoulder blade pain
Middle back Guilt, bitterness, living in the past, being the pillar Middle back pain
Lower back Material and emotional insecurity, fear of lacking Lower back pain
Buttock and down the leg Insecurity during a transition, feeling stuck Sciatica
A disc that slips Pressure carried for other people Slipped disc
A curved spine A load too heavy, comparing yourself, being the family's pillar Scoliosis
## Back pain, stress and emotions: what is known Back pain is one of the most common complaints there is. The NHS says it usually improves within a few weeks, though it can last longer or come back, and that it is not always obvious what causes it. A pulled muscle is a common cause; a slipped disc, sciatica or ankylosing spondylitis are others, and very rarely back pain is a sign of something serious. Stress plays a part for many people. MedlinePlus explains that stress hormones make the muscles tense, and the NHS lists muscle tension or pain among the physical symptoms of stress. Among the treatments the NHS lists for back pain that does not get better is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), to help you cope with the pain. That does not mean the pain is imaginary. It means that coping with pain is part of treating it. The lower back and the hips are also joined by muscle. The psoas runs from the lumbar vertebrae through the pelvis to the thigh bone, and tightness there can be felt as lower back pain. That is one reason the lower back and the [hips](/guides/emotions-stored-in-the-hips) so often hurt together. What the evidence does not show is that guilt is stored in a vertebra or fear in a disc. The spiritual reading below is a way of listening to where the pain sits, offered as questions. It sits beside the medical care your back needs. ## Upper back and neck: feelings carried in silence Spiritually, the upper back lies behind the heart, and it is where you have, or do not have, the strength to carry your emotions. Pain here is linked with feelings pushed down and carried like a weight you never chose: high expectations of others, difficulty saying what you truly feel, [anger](/emotions/anger) or the fear of not being loved, and the sense of having to think of everything and do everything. It is common in devoted parents and carers who feel responsible for everyone's happiness. Sometimes you would rather turn your back on the world than face it. The neck adds the theme of seeing only one side of a situation; see the guide to [emotions stored in the neck](/guides/emotions-stored-in-the-neck). ## Middle back: guilt, the past and being the pillar The middle of the back runs from between the shoulder blades down to the waist, behind the heart and the solar plexus. Spiritually, it is a region of emotional guilt. - **Guilt you have no reason to feel**, bitterness, and low confidence in a life that feels heavy to carry. - **Being the pillar.** You keep the structure running, people are "always on your back", and you feel you are the only one doing everything. - **Powerlessness.** A situation is hard to handle and you would need help, but you put others' needs first and bitterness follows. - **Living in the past.** You hold back your emotions and go round in circles over what has already happened, with an uneasy conscience. Between the shoulder blades, the theme turns to feeling walked on and pressed down by an authority, while wishing for a shield. In this approach, each of the twelve vertebrae of the middle back adds its own nuance; the [middle back pain](/back/middle-back-pain) page goes through them one by one. Shoulder blade knots also belong with the [shoulders](/guides/emotions-stored-in-the-shoulders). ## Lower back: security, money and support Spiritually, the lower back, from the waist down to the tailbone, is part of your support system. It stands for security, self-assurance and trust in life. ### Insecurity and the fear of lacking Lower back pain is linked with insecurity about work, money or possessions, and about love. Thoughts such as "I'm afraid of running out" or "I'll never manage" describe it well. You may measure your worth by what you own, or feel a painful emptiness under all the effort. ### After a loss or a change This pain often appears after a job loss, a retirement, a child leaving home or a separation, when the ground you stood on shifts. [Loneliness](/emotions/loneliness) is linked with the lower back too: the feeling that you can only count on yourself. ### The only pillar You may feel you are the one who holds everything up, and carry other people's problems on your back, wanting to save them. [Worry](/emotions/worry) for others becomes your own weight. ### Powerlessness and revolt Feeling powerless can turn into bitterness or revolt: you refuse to give in, yet you are afraid. Spiritually, a sudden lumbago is linked with that revolt. Clinging to routine because change feels threatening belongs here too. [Sciatica](/back/sciatica) carries the same insecurity into a life transition, often with money worries and a sense that someone else holds the power. A [slipped disc](/back/slipped-disc) is linked with pressure taken on to be loved, or carried for other people. ## "Fed up" and "stabbed in the back" The back has its own expressions. In French, being fed up is literally having "a full back". When you can no longer bear what is happening, feel backed against a wall, or feel that someone is always on your back, the back is said to protest. It can also carry betrayal. Being "stabbed in the back" by someone you trusted is a hurt that is hard to put into words, and spiritually it is placed behind you, where you do not have to look at it. Leaning on someone you do not fully trust is linked with the back as well: you depend on support from outside, cannot quite rely on it, and so find it hard to move forward. ## Posture: pride or submission Posture tells a story in this approach. When you stand up to an authority or want to hold your ground, you may stiffen your back out of pride. When you feel submissive, afraid or weak, you may bend it, and the more worries you carry, the more it aches. [Rounded shoulders](/shoulders/rounded-shoulders) and [scoliosis](/back/scoliosis) are read through these images of a load and a bend. A back that is supple but strong is read as an open, flexible mind. ## Left side vs right side of the back Back pain often sits more on one side. In this approach, the left side of the body carries the receptive, "feminine" principle and the right side the active, "masculine" one, in men and women alike. See [the left and right sides of the body](/guides/left-vs-right-side-of-the-body). - **Left side:** emotional support, receiving, and the women in your life. Pain on the left may ask whether you carry everyone's feelings while no one carries yours, or whether a separation left the emotional ground thin. See [left shoulder blade pain](/shoulders/left-shoulder-blade-pain) for the top of the back. - **Right side:** practical support: work, money, decisions and the men in your life. Pain on the right may point to the load of providing and holding everything up, or a strain with an employer or a system. See [right shoulder blade pain](/shoulders/right-shoulder-blade-pain). One-sided back pain can also come from an organ nearby, such as a kidney, so the warning signs below come first. ## A gentler way to use this - **Let something hold you.** Lie on the floor with your knees bent, or lean back against a wall, and let it take your weight for a few slow breaths. Being supported is the opposite of carrying everything. - **Breathe into the back of the ribs.** Sit tall, rest your hands on your lower ribs and breathe in slowly until you feel the back widen. Let the out-breath be longer. - **Name what is behind you.** Write down one thing you have been "putting behind you" so as not to look at it. Then write one sentence you would say about it, to yourself or to someone else. - **List who supports you.** Practical, emotional, financial. Notice where the list is short, and where support is offered but not in the way you expected. - **Hand back one load.** Other people's problems belong to them. Choose one you can return or share. - **Keep moving.** The NHS advises staying active and carrying on with daily activities rather than staying in bed for long periods. Walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may help. - **Ask for help.** Needing help is not failing. It is how pillars stay standing. This guide is for reflection and general information. It does not diagnose or treat anything. See a GP if back pain has not improved after a few weeks, stops you doing day-to-day things, is worse at night, comes from between your shoulders, or comes with weight loss or a lump or change in the shape of your back. In the UK, call 111 or ask for an urgent appointment if you feel hot, shivery or unwell, or the pain is severe and getting worse quickly. Call 999 or go to A&E if back pain comes with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, loss of feeling around the genitals or bottom, changes in your bladder or bowels, chest pain, or follows a serious accident. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.