What Causes Lower Back Pain During Cold or Flu

As the cold and flu season sets in, many of us are bracing for the familiar symptoms: a runny nose, sore throat, and fatigue. But for some, a less common discomfort may also arise — lower back pain.

While lower back pain isn’t a typical symptom of a cold or the flu, some people do experience it. This can have a few different causes, from spending too long in one position to inflammation, muscle aches, or coughing — or some combination of all of these. 

Read on to find out how your back pain might be tied to your viral infection, what you can do about it, and when it’s time to see a doctor.

Is there a direct link between lower back pain and cold or flu?

Exploring the connection between lower back pain and viral infections

If you’ve ever noticed that stubbing your toe or bumping your elbow hurts more when you’re sick, you’re not imagining it.

When your body’s fighting off a viral infection, its immune response can actually increase your sensitivity to pain. If you already have low-level back pain — like four out of five Canadians do at some point — a viral infection may increase its intensity, making it more noticeable.

While being sick may feel miserable, it has protective benefits, encouraging you to rest and recover more quickly. And, as you get better, your lower back likely will too.

Potential causes of lower back pain during cold or flu 

Increased sensitivity isn’t the only reason for lower back discomfort when you’re sick. Muscle aches are also a common symptom of both colds and the flu. During a viral infection, your immune system sends out white blood cells to attack the invading pathogens. This causes widespread muscle swelling, triggering aches and pains.

If you already have a herniated disk or sciatica, the inflammatory response in the nerves and tissues surrounding a problem area can press against it. This can cause a flare-up, resulting in lower back pain.

In addition, if you also have a cough, this can strain muscles — with lower back pain from coughing, there also often comes pain in the rib cage region. Thankfully, this discomfort should subside when your cough does.

Strategies for relief

Rest is essential to help you recuperate from an illness. Unfortunately, rest can feel out of reach when you’re grappling with back pain. Thankfully, over-the-counter (OTC) medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or topical NSAIDS can help.

Heat, especially in the form of a hot bath or shower, can also provide some relief. Alternatively, a hot water bottle, microwavable heat pack, or electric heating pad can help to soothe your lower back and body aches.

Beyond that, stretching and back exercises can generally ease discomfort. Hamstring stretches and knees to chest are just some of the exercises that can help. They’re also low intensity, making them easy to do even when you’re sick. 

Finally, since dehydration can contribute to muscle cramping, make sure to stay hydrated. As a bonus, it’ll help to replenish fluids you’re losing through sweating or excess mucus production.

When to seek medical attention

While mild back pain can accompany a cold or flu, certain symptoms mean it’s time to see a healthcare provider. These include:

• Sudden onset of back pain.
• Severe back pain.
• Worsening pain that radiates down the legs with weakness, numbness, or tingling.
• Back pain accompanied by fever and urinary urgency or loss of bladder and/or bowel control, along with loss of feeling in your bottom.

Recognizing the symptoms of cold and flu

Differentiating cold and flu symptoms from other infections 

Medical conditions don’t always fit into neat boxes. Instead, many share symptoms with colds and the flu. For example:

• COVID-19 has been shown to cause back pain in some. Since its symptoms often overlap with those of the flu and colds, it can be hard to distinguish which one you’re dealing with.
• Kidney infections also cause back pain, fever, and chills. If these symptoms are also accompanied by urinary urgency, pain during urination, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine, chances are you’re dealing with an upper urinary tract infection (UTI) instead, and you should consult a doctor.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can trigger chills, fever, and back pain. While its symptoms can be hard to untangle from those of the flu, it typically causes foul-smelling vaginal discharge and menstrual irregularities as well.

Preventative measures

If your back often hurts when you get sick with a cold or flu, working towards good back health year-round can help reduce your chances of experiencing this.

Maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and strengthening your core will take pressure off your back and help to build muscles to support and protect your spine.

In addition, one of the best things you can do for your back health is to take regular movement breaks and maintain good posture when you’re sitting — especially if you work at a desk all day.

Finally, prioritize rest, eating healthy, and reducing stress to boost your immune system and reduce your chances of getting sick in the first place.

Low-level back pain, often coupled with other body aches can go hand-in-hand with a cold or the flu. However, if your back pain is acute and accompanied by cold or flu symptoms, you may be dealing with a different kind of illness entirely.

In some cases, the flu can lead to complications that require medical attention. If symptoms worsen or don’t improve after a few days, consult a healthcare professional. Maple makes it easy to talk to a primary care provider online about your flu symptoms 24/7/365 in minutes over secure text, audio, or video call. 

Primary care providers, like doctors and nurse practitioners, can assess your symptoms. At their discretion, they can provide a prescription to help with symptoms, too.

While lower back pain isn’t a typical companion to cold and flu symptoms, it’s important to recognize the potential connections. By understanding how your body responds to illness and implementing simple strategies for relief, you can ease discomfort and focus on recovery. 

The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.