🕰️ My first 2-parter blog: Daylight Saving 2025 & The Importance of Vitamin D

• Part 1 will focus on the time change, lack of movement, spinal effects, and the introduction of vitamin D as the next topic — ending with a “Stay tuned for Part 2.”
• Part 2 will dive into vitamin D deficiency, symptoms, new calcifediol research, and its impact on the spine and nerves, continuing the same conversational tone. (Coming October, 27, 2025)

When the Days Get Shorter, So Does Our Motivation

Every fall, the clocks change and suddenly it feels like someone pulled the plug on the daylight. The mornings are darker, the evenings arrive sooner, and the energy dip hits almost instantly.

I’ve been a Chiropractor in San Mateo for 16 years now, and it’s around this time when patients come into my Chiropractic office saying the same thing:

“Doctor Quarneri, I just don’t feel like doing much after work these days. I feel stiff and blah.”

And who can blame them? It’s hard to stay active when the sky is pitch-black at 5:15 p.m.

But here’s the sneaky part: the time change doesn’t just play games with your sleep schedule — it takes a real toll on your spine, joints, and nerves. Combine less daylight with less movement, and you’ve got a perfect storm for stiffness, pain, and what I call the slow creep of winter posture.

Longer Nights + Shorter Days = Shorter Tempers, Tighter Joints

When the sun clocks out early, most people do too. Fewer after-work walks. Less outdoor time. More scrolling on the couch.

That’s when the domino effect begins:

1. Less movement leads to tight muscles and ligaments.
2. Tight muscles create joint irritation and compression.
3. Compressed joints can cause pinched nerves, especially in the neck and shoulders.

And just like that, the season of “coziness” turns into the season of stiffness.

Your spine thrives on motion — it’s designed to bend, twist, and carry you through space. When movement drops, the discs between vertebrae lose hydration and flexibility. The muscles that stabilize your posture weaken. The nerves running through the neck and low back can get irritated. That’s when those mysterious symptoms appear: radiating pain, tingling fingers, numb toes, or that stubborn “crick” that seems to pop up overnight.

Why the Time Change Hits Harder Than You Think

It’s not just the darkness itself; it’s the rhythm disruption. Shorter days throw off your circadian cycle, your body’s built-in clock that regulates hormones like cortisol and melatonin. When that balance shifts, your energy, sleep quality, and pain perception all change.

Research shows that irregular sleep patterns and decreased daylight exposure can heighten muscle tension and inflammation — two of the biggest culprits behind back and neck pain. Add work stress, traffic, and less exercise, and suddenly every joint feels a little rusty.

I often tell patients: “Your body doesn’t care what the clock says. It cares about consistency.” When light exposure drops and your schedule changes, your muscles and joints pay attention.

The San Mateo Shuffle: Modern Life in Low Light

Here in the Bay Area, the time change coincides perfectly with peak work stress. People are cramming projects before year-end, spending longer hours at their desks, and driving home in the dark.

By the time they reach my office, I can practically see the pattern: rounded shoulders, forward head posture, tight hips. Even young, fit adults are showing early signs of compression — not from injury, but from habit.

I call it “the San Mateo Shuffle”: long commutes, long workdays, short sunlight, and minimal movement. The result? A region full of people whose posture is frozen in mid-Zoom.

Movement Is Medicine — Especially When It’s Dark Out

The single best antidote to seasonal stiffness is simple: move more.

You don’t have to join a gym or sign up for a marathon. Just build micro-movements into your day:

• Stand and stretch for 60 seconds each hour.
• Take phone calls standing up.
• Park a little farther from the door.
• Roll your shoulders while waiting for your coffee to brew.

Movement is how your spine stays nourished. It pumps fluid through the discs and keeps your joints lubricated. Without it, the spine behaves like a car that’s been sitting too long — everything starts to stick.

Even a few minutes of stretching in the morning can make a measurable difference in mobility and pain reduction. Consistency matters more than intensity.

Your Posture Doesn’t Take a Season Off

When daylight decreases, screen time tends to increase — and so does tech-neck. Sitting in a slumped position for hours at a time can compress the cervical spine, tighten shoulder muscles, and irritate the nerves that travel down your arms.

I see more neck-related nerve compression in November than any other month. Why? Because cooler weather means we hunch for warmth, stare at screens longer, and move less. It’s a triple-threat combination that can easily result in a pinched nerve in the neck, tingling fingers, or headaches that start at the base of the skull.

Correcting posture isn’t just about standing tall — it’s about re-training the muscles that hold your body upright. Chiropractic adjustments and spinal decompression therapy are two of the best tools we have for restoring normal motion, improving nerve function, and reversing the effects of long-term sitting.

The Vitamin D Connection: More Than Just Sunshine

Now, here’s where things get really interesting. You’ve probably heard of the “winter blues” — that slump in energy, motivation, and mood when daylight fades. One of the biggest biological reasons for it is vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D, often called the sunshine vitamin, is produced in your skin when it’s exposed to UVB light. When daylight hours shrink, your body’s production drops. Less light = less vitamin D = lower energy, weaker immunity, and even slower tissue recovery.

In other words, the time change doesn’t just affect your motivation — it affects your metabolism and nervous system. And that has real consequences for anyone managing joint pain, inflammation, or nerve sensitivity.

I’ll dig deeper into that next week, but for now, know this: when you combine darker days, less movement, and reduced vitamin D production, your spine and nerves are operating at a disadvantage. It’s like trying to drive with the headlights dimmed.

Seasonal Survival Tips for Your Spine

You can’t change the time, but you can change how your body adapts to it. Try these strategies this month:

1. Chase light early. Get outside within an hour of waking up — even a few minutes helps reset your circadian rhythm.
2. Move hourly. Set a phone reminder. A little motion every 60 minutes keeps joints lubricated.
3. Upgrade your workspace. Keep your monitor at eye level and your feet flat on the floor.
4. Stretch before bed. Loosen the day’s tension before you sleep; your muscles will thank you in the morning.
5. Schedule a spinal tune-up. Regular adjustments and spinal decompression therapy restore proper movement and relieve nerve pressure before it becomes pain.

Small daily actions prevent the cumulative strain that winter tries to sneak in.

A Word About Motivation

Shorter days can chip away at your drive, and that’s normal. If you notice that you’re sleeping longer, skipping workouts, or feeling less focused, don’t beat yourself up — biology’s playing a role. Your body is wired to conserve energy when sunlight drops.

But awareness gives you power. Recognize the pattern, then counter it with small, doable routines. Even committing to a five-minute stretch before bed can start to reverse that downward spiral of stiffness and fatigue.

Call to Action: Don’t Let Darkness Dim Your Health

At Neurolink Chiropractic in San Mateo, we’re helping patients stay active, aligned, and pain-free through the darker months. Whether you’re dealing with a tight neck, low-back stiffness, or posture fatigue, we’ll customize a plan using chiropractic care and spinal decompression therapy to restore proper motion and keep your body energized.

The time change might be out of your hands, but your health isn’t. Let’s keep your spine moving, your nerves clear, and your momentum strong — no matter how early it gets dark.

🩺 Stay tuned for next post coming October, 27, 2025: “The Vitamin D Deficit — Why Shorter Days Mean More Pain (and What You Can Do About It).”