Why Does My Back Hurt More In Winter?

You may think you are alone in thinking that your back hurts more in the Winter months than in the Summer months, but you are not, this is quite a common occurrence. Back pain in the UK is very common:

• 8.9 million Working days were lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2016/17 (38% of these were associated with the back). (Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) Statistics in Great Britain 2017)
• Lower back pain caused more disability than any other condition, affecting nearly 1 in 10 people and becoming more common with increasing age (NHS review 2014).

So why does your back hurt more in the Winter than in the Summer? For many the problem lies with the temperatures and not wanting to venture outside as much which leads to sustained periods of inactivity which in turn can exasperate underlying back problems. The inactivity leads to the weakening and stiffening of muscles.

We suggest you keep active in these colder months, wrap up and go for brisk 20 minute strolls to keep your muscles strong. Take the stairs in stead of the lift. Focus on maintaining a good posture with back rests and lumbar supports (see below). Lift properly and moderate repetitive tasks.

Does your back hurt more in the winter than in the Summer? Let us know by commenting below or on our social media channels.