Ah, the season for cozying up by the fire with a steaming cup of hot cocoa has arrived along with the chilly weather. Yet, along with winter's charm, comes an unwelcome visitor - back pain. Let's explore how the cold weather can trigger back discomfort and discover effective ways to tackle it head-on.
Let’s discuss the biological reactions of our body in response to cold weather. When we step outside into the harsh winter, our body goes into survival mode. Our blood vessels become smaller in our extremities with blood flow redirected to our more vital internal organs. When this occurs, our muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the spine lack blood flow and become stiff, putting strain on your back. This strain can affect your spinal nerves, contributing to back pain.
In addition to vasoconstriction, our body initiates a shivering response to extreme cold. This is a way for our body to generate heat energy via fast and repetitive muscular contractions to warm ourselves. Although this can help keep us warm, these contractions can exhaust these muscles, especially in your back, contributing to stiffness, cramping, and pain.
Apart from our body’s natural responses to the cold, pressure changes can also play a role in back pain. Cold air is typically accompanied by drops in barometric pressure, meaning there is less air pressure on our bodies and joints. This leaves your spinal joints prone to painful swelling, especially if you already suffer from joint inflammation due to a previous back injury or health condition.
To learn more about how to treat your back pain this season, contact us at Hinsdale Orthopedics at Munster for world-class care!
AUTHOR: Dr. Cary Templin specializes in the operative and non-operative treatment of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Dr. Templin is an expert in minimally invasive surgical procedures. His practice includes spinal decompression and fusion, microsurgery and motion-preserving procedures, including artificial disc replacement.in Munster, Indiana.