Many of our clients have come in through winter complaining of lower back pain. For a majority of these patients they have felt pain that they have never felt before, but for some it is a reoccurring thing each year when the days are shorter and when the temperature drops.
Lower back pain can be really painful, slowing you down in your everyday tasks and making it really difficult to enjoy your down time.
Ensuring that you get on top of back pain when it arises makes sure you dodge long term pain, keeps you fighting fit and you don’t get held back from the things you love doing!
Here are the top three reasons behind why winter causes your sore and achy back pain.
- Less likely to exercise! Over the winter months people are a lot less likely to exercise, people tend not to go for walks during winter as the weather isn’t as enjoyable and the days are shorter. Not walking and getting in your physical activity means you aren’t allowing your lower back to extend or straighten out meaning it is more likely to be stuck in in the rounded position it has been in all day.
- Weight gain! With less exercise comes weight gain, as activity levels drop off, many peoples calorie intake often increases. Over the winter months many people actually put on an extra 3-5kgs. Putting on weight puts added pressure onto the lower back, causing your sore achy feeling.
- Spending more time sitting down! Sitting for too long will increase the load on the lower back, this happens primarily because sitting tightens the hip flexors and gluteal muscles which as a result puts more pressure on the lower back.
So there you have it! If you want to dodge the winter back pain, move more, watch what you eat and sit less!
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to back pain, come and see us at Back to Health Physiotherapy in Newport and we can get you back to your happy, pain free self.
Keep Warm!