Cold weather, less activity, new demands on the body, and extra stress can all combine to make low back pain worse during certain stretches of the year — and for people who already deal with back pain on and off, that combination can turn a manageable ache into a real flare-up.
Why flare-ups happen
A change in temperature affects muscles and joints. Breaks from a normal routine mean people often stop the walks, stretches, or exercise that usually keep their pain in check. New activities the body isn't used to — more time on your feet, awkward positions, different footwear — add stress in places that aren't prepared for it. And stress itself, along with poor sleep and irregular routines, can make existing pain worse. Combined, these factors can leave someone with a back pain history in more pain than usual, and what normally helps stops working as well.
The mistake that can make things worse
One patient we treated, a woman in her late forties, had dealt with low back pain on and off for years and came in after one of the worst flare-ups she'd had. She'd started taking medication and, more significantly, had stopped doing a lot of her normal activities — spending much more time lying down, hoping the next time she got up the pain would be gone.
Medication can help take the edge off severe inflammation, but it often just masks the underlying issue. The bigger problem was the extended rest. Cutting back activity that dramatically doesn't just fail to help low back pain — it can prolong it and make it worse. A drastic drop in activity tends to set off a negative cycle that leaves pain lasting longer and, at times, becoming more severe.
The safest way to start feeling better
The rule that tends to hold up: if you're dealing with back pain, keep doing your normal activities as long as they don't cause pain. It sounds simple, and it is — but it's also why so many people with back pain continue to struggle. Instead of following this rule, many either stop doing normal activities for far too long, or change how they do things in ways that end up making things worse.
After working with a physical therapist to identify the real root cause of her pain, the patient above was able to get back to her normal activities without relying on medication or quick fixes.
When to see a physical therapist
If a low back pain flare-up isn't easing up, or you're not sure how much activity is safe to keep doing, a physical therapist can help you figure out what's actually driving the pain and how to move through it safely. Our team at Empower Physical Therapy & Wellness works with patients across Chino Hills, Chino, and Pomona to get real, lasting relief from low back pain.
