3 Things That Ease Back Stiffness & Soreness During the Colder Months That Are Rarely Talked About - The Physio Revolution

3 Things That Ease Back Stiffness & Soreness During the Colder Months That Are Rarely Talked About

Recently, most of my patients have found that the colder days here in Denver are bringing on a little more back aches and discomfort these days.

Is this true for you, too?

More than likely it is… I only know this because I have heard this from 95% my patients who especially deal with back pain or knee pain.

These are two of THE most common complaint areas in the winter.

“Oh yea, it’s getting cold. I definitely feel it in my back today.” – I’m sure you’ve said this or felt this way too!

If so, I wanted to give you insight on 3 things you need to know about WHAT causes this to happen and why so many people do not KNOW what to do about it.

So, let’s just jump right in if that’s okay with you?

   1. Motion is the Lotion!

Ever had a crickety door in your house or on your car?  More than likely you have.

What do you do to fix it?

Well, first you went to the store to get some sort of lubricant be it oil or water-based (depending on if it’s plastic or metal… yes that’s a thing if you didn’t know!).

Then, you get the lubricant between the joint or bracket needed.

And more than likely, if you are like anyone else in this world, you don’t just spray it or apply it and then walk away…

YOU MOVE THE DOOR BACK AND FORTH… Yes?

The concept behind this is the same as your achey back.  Your joints need lubrication.

But, when you find yourself not moving… the stagnancy of the joints cause an ache.

This ache is a WARNING sign to you or the body starting to yell “Hey YOU, yea YOU! Move me please!”

And typically then, you find the first movements tough or stiff, then it eases with more reps or motions.

Remember: Motion is the Lotion!

  2. Keep the organs warm!

The body has this safety net where it wants to keep everything in check and balance.

Basically, if one area is suffering, another area will step up and try to maintain it better.

Same goes for our internal temperature of our body.

Let’s say you are at a football or hockey game outside, why do your toes, nose, and fingers get the coldest?

Or better, when hikers go climb Mt. Everest (in theory) and they get frost bit… why is it that their ears, nose, lips, toes and fingers are typically the areas of the body in contention with possible loss?

Believe it or not, your body actually likes you… A LOT!

So much so, it will try to preserve you as long and as much as it can!

Preservation means that our bodies must repel the heat from one source (fingers, toes, nose, ears) and increase demand to the structures that allow us to keep breathing and have a heart beat (our necessary organs).

The body will shunt circulation or the source of heat away to make sure these structures are sufficiently working before they give it elsewhere.

So, the best thing you can do to supply the JOINTS better (arms, legs, and back region) is to bundle up!

Keeping your organ area with multiple layers such as wearing cuddle duds, warmers, or a base layer allows heat to maintain better near the organ level to then increase the heat supplied towards other areas of the body (our backs, knees, ankles).

  3. What The HEAT?

So, why do joints like our back respond better to heat?

Well, when heat is shunted away from the back region, the back muscles that connect to the joints will stiffen and tense up.

These muscles thrive off of feeling loose and having a nice blood bath, if you will.

Circulation (blood bath) will ultimately provide a good source of warmth (flexibility), adequate nutrition sources (proteins and oxygen), and less “talking” from our nerves!

But, if you don’t allow that area to stay warm with bundling and moving… then the back muscles will begin to cramp or stiffen up.

Hence, why you feel achey.

Keeping joints and muscles WARM is what allows good blood flow, proper nutrition, and less pain to the sensory nerves in that area.

Now, you might be saying… “Awesome, I’ll just do *X*!”  *Where “X” equals a hot tub, heating pad, warm bath/shower, etc.

As I never think these are bad options, one thing that does remain true in all the research is that there is no better way to warm the body and the muscles other than by MOVING.

Muscles warm up exponentially better and more effectively with moving them rather than just applying heat on the skin surface.

BONUS TIP!!!!

Lastly, just so I make sure to cover all areas. I get a majority of patients who ask about lumbar support systems to help their back daily for  work or in their car.

If you are looking for my #1 recommendation, then find it here on Amazon. This is THE lumbar support I use for all my personal needs and for those clients who are appropriate for this type of support:

The Original McKenzie Early Compliance Lumbar Roll – Low Back Support for Office Chairs and Car Seats

Questions if this is right for you or not? Email me personally at brooke@thephysiorevolution.com and let’s talk about what the benefits of this will be in your scenario and if it’s the right purchase.

The strap secures the spot of where you want your roll to go. Check mine out here:

It should be placed on the lower back and just above the top of your buttocks, allowing the natural lumbar curve to be exposed.  At times, this does not allow me to touch the back of my chair to rest, making muscles work towards bettering my posture. It will do the same for you and over time, you will build strength to improve your own posture.

LET’S RECAP WHAT WE KNOW:

In case you are someone like me who goes straight to the bottom to get the wrap up of the article, here it is for you:

  1. Motion is Lotion.
  2. Keep your organs warm.
  3. Use heat to draw blood flow to your muscles.

If you are currently being sidelined removed from happiness in your life such as playing with your kids or grandkids because of back pain or feeling like you cannot get ahead of the back aches and soreness during these colder days…. then I recommend you begin here:

Many people like you start by gathering more information from my Free Guide I wrote called “7 Essential Tips To Ease Back Pain” that is free to you.

Yes, 100% Free.

Why?

Other than I truly believe you and many others deserve a better life away from back pain… there’s truly a deeper reason for this.  If you click on this link to get the free report, you’ll learn why:

“7 Essential Tips to Ease Back Pain” 

Majority of the people we see who suffer with back pain similar to you start with this free guide. I hope you decide to as well. It’s highly encouraged to read at your leisure.

To your health and happiness,

Brooke

PS. Claim your free guide to ease back pain by CLICKING HERE.

Brooke Olsen

Brooke Olsen

Co-Founder, Director of Physical Therapy
Brooke is a physical therapist, director of physical therapy, and co-founder at The Physio Revolution. She has worked with professional athletes from Olympic level and recreational weekend warriors to others who are in need of regaining their independence and mobility back in their everyday life. Brooke works extensively with all of the PT’s and spends a vast amount of her time ensuring our treatment plans keep pace with the rapid advancements that make physical therapy so effective and such a ‘go-to’ profession for people aged 45+.
Share This
Google Rating
4.9
Based on 133 reviews
×