How To Relieve Back Pain In The Winter
The winter months can be dull and dreary – and if you’re suffering from health issues such as back pain, it can be made worse at this time of year. In this article we look at how you can reduce the impact of the winter months on your back and keep pain at bay without having to resort to medication.
Winter is still here and the temperature has been dropping significantly. While for some people, winter is a time to rejoice and enjoy; for some it can be quite a painful time.
People who suffer from various kinds of aches and pains find this weather to be unsuitable as their pain can be aggravated at this time. You might start feeling the dull and numb ache in the lower back, in the neck area as well as in other parts of the body. A pain along the spine is felt quite commonly during the winter when the joints and the muscles seem to become stiff and increase the discomfort factor.
If you suffer from back pain that gets worse in cold or damp weather then this article contains some great tips for alleviating the pain considerably.
Read on to see how you can reduce your back pain symptoms and if you have any cures of your own, let us know in the comments.
Staying hydrated is very important during winter
There are many problems which are aggravated over winter just because our water consumption is less during this period, and back pain is one of them. It is recommended to drink plenty of water during winter so that the system remains hydrated.
There are various functions which water carries out in the body: The skin cells remain full, the joints and muscles remain lubricated and function well, nutrients are delivered efficiently to different parts of the body and the intestinal lining remains protected from damage. You will notice that drinking the right amount of water your back pain might improve during the winter.
Keeping warm is very important
One of the best ways of providing relief to back pain during the winter is by heat therapy. Treating the pain with heat is very effective and shows positive results. With the application of heat, the soft tissues around the spine are allowed to stretch considerably. Along with the general tissues, connective tissues, muscles as well as adhesions also tend to stretch and relax on heat application. The stiffness from the tissues and the muscles, minimize and gradually disappear with heat therapy. There is a feeling of comfort and most importantly, you will feel more flexible. Along with using a heat pad for heat therapy, it is also recommended to wear warm clothes so that the back remains covered and warm.
Get More Sleep To Help Relieve back pain in winter months
Winter season is the time for parties, fun and frolic and festivities. However, amidst all this enjoyment, it is important to get adequate rest and sleep – and make sure it’s of good quality too.
Many people tend to party hard and take little rest over the winter months and it might lead to back pain or aggravate pain if you already suffer from it. For optimum performance, it is important that the body gets proper rest and it is recommended to get a minimum 7-8 hours of sleep every day.
Sleeping also helps in keeping inflammation at bay and that in turn leads to less back pain (or any other kind of pain for that matter) so try to get enough sleep. If you’re struggling with back pain make sure you have a good mattress and a memory foam pillow to help give your back the support it needs.
Maintain a consistent exercise plan
It is true that exercising in the winter might be difficult for people with aches and pains but doctors think that despite the pain, you should not give up on your movement in any way.
If you follow an exercise plan, try following that in all seasons consistently. If you exercise outdoors, that might not be a very comfortable option in the winter, instead you can swap to indoor activities and exercises so that the body remains active and you’re not missing out on much needed exercise.
Exercise keeps proper blood circulation and this helps in relieving back pain and other kinds of pains considerably, even just walking on the treadmill in your gym or home is an excellent exercise option and will help keep the blood flowing without you having to deal with the cold weather outside.
Try to keep away depression as it leads to back pain
Winter is often gloomy and dark with no sun shining and as a result it can create an overall depressive mood. You might not know that depression, stress and anxiety can aggravate back pain significantly – because of the lack of sunlight, stress related to the holiday periods and cold temperature – all might contribute to back pain in the winter. Medical experts have established a strong connection between depression and back ache.
We hope these simple but very effective methods will help keep your back pain under control particularly during the winter. These are natural ways and hence there are no chances of any side effects from popping pain killer pills.
Do you have any tips on how to keep your back pain at bay during the cold winter months? Let us know in the comments.
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