It’s not uncommon for people with back pain to also complain of feeling chilled or cold. But is there actually a link between back pain and feeling cold? In this article, we’ll explore the connection and see if back pain really can make you feel cold.
What causes back pain?
Back pain can stem from a variety of causes, including:
Muscle strain
Lifting something heavy, sudden movements, or overuse can strain the muscles and ligaments in the back. This is one of the most common sources of back pain.
Bulging or ruptured discs
Discs act as cushions between the vertebrae. If a disc bulges or ruptures, it can put pressure on a nerve, resulting in pain.
Sciatica
A pinched nerve in the lower back can cause sciatica, which radiates pain down the leg.
Arthritis
Spinal osteoarthritis can develop with aging, causing stiffness and pain.
Abnormal curvature of the spine
Scoliosis, kyphosis, and other abnormal curvatures alter spinal mechanics and lead to pain.
What causes feelings of being cold?
There are a few potential reasons why someone might feel abnormally cold, including:
Poor circulation
If blood flow is reduced to the extremities, it can make you feel chilled. Certain health conditions like diabetes and anemia can impair circulation.
Hypothyroidism
An underactive thyroid gland slows metabolism, which can lower body temperature.
Raynaud’s phenomenon
This condition causes the small arteries in the hands and feet to temporarily narrow, limiting blood flow to the skin.
Anemia
Having a low red blood cell count can diminish oxygen delivery to tissues, making you feel cold.
Medications
Some drugs like beta-blockers and antidepressants can reduce circulation or metabolic rate.
Can back pain cause poor circulation?
For some people, back pain is directly linked to poorer circulation in the body. Here’s how it happens:
Prolonged back pain can lead to reduced movement and physical activity. Staying inactive causes muscles to weaken and wastes away. Weakened muscle tissue demands less blood supply.
Additionally, inactivity can also slow circulation and cause blood to pool in the extremities. When blood pools, less reaches the skin surface to warm it.
Lying down or staying sedentary for long periods exacerbates these effects. The lack of muscle contraction further limits venous blood return.
Over time, ongoing back pain creates a vicious cycle. Limited mobility from pain leads to poorer blood flow, causing cold sensations.
The table below summarizes how back pain can contribute to feeling cold:
| Effect of Back Pain | Impact on Circulation | Result |
| Reduced physical activity | Weakened muscle tissue | Decreased blood flow demand |
| Prolonged inactivity | Blood pools in extremities | Less blood reaches skin |
| Lying down for long periods | Impairs venous return | Cooling skin temperature |
Can back injuries directly affect temperature regulation?
For some types of back injuries, particularly those involving the spinal cord, temperature regulation can be directly impacted.
The hypothalamus is responsible for coordinating autonomic functions like body temperature. It’s located just above the brain stem.
After a spinal cord injury in the neck or upper back, signals from the hypothalamus can be disrupted on their way to the rest of the body.
This impairs the body’s ability to properly control skin blood flow and regulate temperature. Spinal cord injuries at higher vertebral levels lead to more severe dysfunction.
In addition to spinal cord injuries, nerve compression or damage in the lower back may also interfere with temperature regulation in the lower half of the body.
Examples of spinal injuries that can impair temperature control:
- Complete spinal cord transection
- Central cord syndrome
- Anterior cord syndrome
- Brown-Sequard syndrome
- Conus medullaris syndrome
- Cauda equina syndrome
Can back pain treatments cause cold feelings?
Some of the medications used to treat back pain can list feeling cold or having cold extremities as potential side effects.
For example, muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine can affect circulation and body temperature regulation. Narcotic pain relievers may also play a role.
Likewise, taking NSAIDs for back pain over long periods can potentially reduce blood flow. However, it’s unclear if this meaningfully impacts temperature for most people.
The cold sensations in these cases are typically mild. But it’s important to be aware that back pain medications can sometimes influence body temperature.
Table summarizing back pain medications linked to cold feelings:
| Medication | Potential Side Effect |
| Muscle relaxants | Impaired temperature regulation |
| Narcotic pain relievers | Feeling cold |
| NSAIDs | Reduced circulation |
Other causes of back pain and cold feelings
Sometimes feeling cold accompanies back pain, but they are coincidental and not directly related.
For example, if back pain is due to a infection or autoimmune disorder like ankylosing spondylitis, you may experience chills as part of the condition itself.
Cancer, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, and vitamin deficiencies can also independently cause both back pain and feeling cold.
In these cases, treating the underlying condition should alleviate both symptoms. The cold feelings aren’t tied to impaired circulation or temperature regulation from the back pain itself.
Does cold temperature exacerbate back pain?
Cold exposure itself can also worsen back pain in some instances.
For people prone to back spasms, the cold causes muscles to tighten up. This spasm-related pain tends to be acute and short-lived, subsiding once the person warms.
Cold may aggravate arthritic back pain as well. Lower temperatures provoke stiffness in joints and connective tissues.
However, resting or sleeping in a cool room has not been shown to routinely exacerbate chronic back pain or interfere with sleep quality.
Here are some tips for minimizing temperature-related back pain flares:
- Wear warm clothing to prevent muscles from seizing up.
- Take a warm shower if back spasms occur after cold exposure.
- Use heating pads or ice therapy to relieve acute pain from cold-induced spasms.
- Improve home insulation and use humidifiers to maintain a warmer indoor climate.
Conclusion
In many cases, back pain can indirectly lead to feeling cold due to inactivity, circulation changes, and side effects of medications. Direct injury to the spinal cord can also impair the body’s temperature regulation.
However, these cold sensations are usually mild. More often, pre-existing medical conditions are responsible for both acute back pain and chronic chilliness.
Being aware of the link between back pain and temperature discomfort can help guide treatment decisions. Simple measures like bundling up, staying active, and using heating pads can provide relief.