Alera Functional Health

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Alera Functional Health

Back pain that won’t go away, even when you’re doing everything right?

I help you understand what your body is reacting to so you can feel more consistent and in control.

08/13/2026

Back pain can slowly start changing the way you live.

You stop running.
You rethink the trip.
You hesitate before saying yes to an activity you used to enjoy.
You start wondering, “Is this something I just can’t do anymore?”

But recurring back pain doesn’t automatically mean you have to give up the things you love.

Your back doesn’t exist independently from the rest of your body.

Sleep, stress, nutrition, inflammation, recovery, movement, and other lifestyle factors can all influence how you feel.

Addressing those factors isn’t glamorous, flashy, or a quick fix. Often, it means returning to the basics that support your whole body and looking for patterns that may have been overlooked.

Pain deserves context.

And sometimes, understanding that bigger picture can help you stop organizing your entire life around your back.

I wrote more about this in this week’s blog: “Does Back Pain Mean You Have to Stop Doing the Things You Love?”

🔗 Read it at the link in my bio.

08/02/2026

Women supporting women, health, and local businesses. 💙

It was such a pleasure connecting with so many incredible women at this week's Women's Wellness Event.

One of my favorite parts of the evening was having conversations with people who have been living with recurring back pain and are looking for answers beyond another stretch, another exercise, or another appointment.

One thing I hope more people realize is this:

Recurring back pain isn't always just about your spine.

Things like inflammation, stress, sleep, nutrition, blood sugar, and recovery can all influence how your back feels. Sometimes the missing piece isn't another treatment—it's looking at the bigger picture.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat. I truly enjoyed meeting you and hearing your stories.

If you've been dealing with back pain that keeps coming back, what's one thing you've noticed seems to make it better—or worse?

💙 Erin

07/31/2026

Last night, Alera Functional Health had the opportunity to be part of the Women's Wellness Event in Lake Nona, alongside so many incredible local wellness businesses.

It was wonderful to see our community come together to prioritize health, connect with local professionals, and support one another. Thank you to Ami Brown for organizing such a fantastic evening - I loved meeting so many amazing women and fellow business owners like
JETSET Pilates Lake Nona SoulfullMassageStudio
Viviana Escobar Burg
𝘾𝙍𝙔𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙇 | 𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙕𝙄𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙉 𝙒𝘼𝙓 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏♡
Melissa Brown Wellness
𝑳𝒖𝒏𝒂 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒔 🌙 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 & 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒔
Nur Medspa | Orlando Botox, Fillers, Facials, Morpheus8
STUDIO SOUL ignite.inspire.empower ®️ and Annette F & Phill R

Looking forward to the next one! 💙

07/30/2026

✨ I'm excited to be part of the Women's Wellness Event tonight!

If recurring back pain keeps coming back and you've wondered why, I'd love to meet you.

Stop by my table, say hello, ask questions, or simply introduce yourself. Whether you've been dealing with back pain for months or years, I'd love to hear your story.

I'll be sharing why recurring back pain isn't always just about the spine and some of the overlooked contributors that may be worth exploring.

📍 Women's Supporting Women – Wellness Edition
🗓️ Thursday, July 30
🕕 6:00–9:00 PM
📍 Keller Williams Advantage III Realty Training & Event Center
9161 Narcoossee Rd., Suite 203
Orlando, FL 32827

I hope to see some of you there! 💙

07/29/2026

There was a time I honestly thought recurring back pain meant I had to start giving up things I loved to do.

After 3 back surgeries, a failed spinal fusion, a rollover car accident, more herniated discs, and being told a 4th back surgery was likely, I wasn't sure what my future would look like.

For me, the thing I loved was being active: competing in triathlons, running races, and being able to keep up with my kids and their sports.

What surprised me most wasn't that I raced again.

It was realizing that some of the biggest improvements in my recurring back pain came when I stopped focusing only on my spine and started paying attention to the overlooked factors that were influencing how I felt.

Things like nutrition, food allergies, my sweet tooth, sleep, and stress.

That doesn't mean everyone's journey will look like mine.

But it does mean that recurring back pain isn't always as simple as "your back is damaged - you're done being active."

If you've been doing everything you know to do and your pain still keeps coming back, it may be worth looking beyond the MRI.

👋 If you're new here, I'm Erin.

I help active adults uncover overlooked contributors to recurring back pain so they can get back to doing the things they love.

What is something you've been afraid back pain might take away from you?

07/23/2026

I love traveling and showing my kids the world.

After 3 back surgeries followed by a rollover car accident that herniated 7 more discs and fractured a vertebra, traveling became incredibly painful and difficult.

As I've learned more about nutrition and lifestyle habits, I've seen firsthand how much they can influence my chronic pain, especially when I travel.

These are my top tips for managing chronic back pain while traveling:

👕 Lumbar support
Airplane seats do not always support the natural curve of your lower back. A rolled up jacket behind your back can make a surprising difference.

🧦 Compression socks
I wear them on every flight because of lingering nerve damage in my legs. They also help reduce swelling from sitting for long periods.

💧 Hydration
Your spinal discs, muscles, and connective tissues all rely on adequate hydration. I make water a priority because I notice my back feels much stiffer when I get behind on fluids.

🚶🏼‍♀️ Stretching
Movement is like a reset button for my back. Even a few minutes of stretching helps reduce stiffness after sitting, gets my core working again, and reminds my body it was designed to move, not stay folded into an airplane seat for hours.

🧘🏼‍♀️ Wake up your hips and core
Standing on one leg challenges the small stabilizing muscles around my hips and core that help support my lower back. I switch sides while I'm waiting to board.

Travel does not have to mean paying for it with back pain afterward.

The small choices you make before, during, and after your flight can have a bigger impact than you might think.

Now go take the trip instead of letting back pain hold you back.

Save this post for your next trip, and send it to someone whose back always seems to flare up after flying.

07/13/2026

Vacation doesn't mean I stop taking care of my back.

After 3 back surgeries, I've learned that strength training is one of the most important ways I support my body and help reduce my recurring back pain.

That doesn't mean I need a fully equipped gym.

This morning I used a staircase, a chair, and my own body weight.

Because consistency matters more than perfect conditions.

If I'm traveling, I don't skip my workout because I don't have the "right" equipment. I simply get creative and keep moving because maintaining my strength helps keep my back pain at bay.

I've learned that the habits we stay consistent with often matter far more than the ones we do perfectly.

💙 What's one healthy habit you try not to skip when you're away from home?

07/07/2026

When your back is hurting, what's your instinct?

Cancel plans?

Stay home?

Tell yourself you'll go next time?

It's completely understandable. But here's something we don't talk about enough...

Chronic stress can make pain feel more intense.

Research suggests that meaningful relationships and social support can help buffer the effects of stress and support a healthier nervous system. While they aren't a cure for back pain, they're one more reminder that our health is influenced by more than one thing.

So if someone invites you to dinner... Go.

Laugh a little more.

Make time for people who fill your cup.

Sometimes supporting your health isn't about doing more.

Sometimes it's about staying connected. ❤️

Who is someone you've been meaning to call or have dinner with? Tag them below or send them this post as your excuse to finally make plans. ❤️

07/06/2026

When I had my first back surgery, I thought my back was the only thing that mattered.

That seemed like a reasonable assumption.

After all, my MRI showed injuries. I'd had surgery. The pain was real.

So I spent years focused almost entirely on my spine.

What I didn't realize was that my body was giving me clues in other ways, too.

Over time, I started noticing that things like the food I ate, my sleep, stress, and how well I recovered seemed to influence how I felt, even though they didn't change my MRI.

That realization changed everything.

I'm not saying everyone's back pain has the same cause.

But I am saying that recurring back pain is often more complex than we realize, and sometimes there are overlooked factors worth exploring.

That's exactly why I founded Alera Functional Health.

💙 If you're tired of feeling like you're just guessing, I've created a free guide called "7 Hidden Reasons Your Back Pain Keeps Flaring Up (Even When You're Doing Everything 'Right')."

You can download it through the link in my bio.

👇 What's one thing you've noticed makes your back pain worse, even if it doesn't seem like it should?

07/01/2026

At 17, I was told I'd probably never run again.

After a horseback riding accident, I had my first back surgery.

Years later came a spinal fusion.

Then another surgery when the fusion failed.

Then a rollover car accident that left me with even more spinal injuries.

For years, I believed the answer had to be found by focusing on my back.

But over time, I started noticing something...

The severity of my pain didn't always match what my MRI showed.

What did seem to matter was everything happening outside my spine: my nutrition, stress, sleep, recovery, and other factors influencing inflammation.

I'm not saying everyone's back pain has the same cause.

I am saying that recurring back pain isn't always just about the back.

Sometimes there are overlooked pieces of the puzzle worth exploring.

That's exactly why I created my free guide:

7 Hidden Reasons Your Back Pain Keeps Flaring Up (Even When You're Doing Everything "Right")

If your back pain keeps coming back and you're tired of guessing, you can grab it through the link in my bio.

👇 I'd love to hear from you:

What's one thing you've tried to help your back pain that surprised you, whether it worked or didn't?

Address

Cooperstown, NY
13326

Website

http://AleraFunctionalHealth.com/, https://www.alerafunctionalhealth.com/free-guide

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