By Dr. Dipan Patel
The clocks have turned back in New Jersey, and it is already dark when most of my patients leave work. The first frost hits the lawns in Morris County, the leaf bags line the curbs in Clifton, and somebody is already testing the snowblower in Edison.
And right on schedule, my phone starts filling up with the same complaint: “My knees know the weather is changing.” “My back has been stiff every morning.” “I’m dreading the drive to my in-laws’ for Thanksgiving.”
You are not imagining it. Many people with arthritis and back problems feel worse when it gets cold. Researchers still debate exactly why. Theories include pressure changes and stiffer tissues in the cold, and a lot of it is simply that we move less. What I can tell you is that most of it is manageable, and November is the month to get ahead of it.
The Injury People Underestimate: The “Do Nothing” Season
The biggest cold-weather threat to your joints is not ice. It is the couch.
When it gets dark at 4:45, the evening walk disappears. Weekend yard work stops. People settle into a long stretch of sitting: at work, in the car, on the couch for football, at the table for holiday meals. Joints need movement to stay lubricated and muscles need load to stay strong. Six weeks of inactivity can leave you stiffer and weaker right when you are about to shovel, carry luggage, and lift a 20-pound turkey.
Many “sudden” December back injuries started in November.
Three Injury Patterns I See Every Cold Season
1. The Arthritis Flare
- The risk: Knees, hips, hands, and the lower back often ache more and feel stiffer in cold, damp weather. People respond by moving less, which tends to make the stiffness worse.
- The fix: Keep moving daily, even in small doses. Ten minutes of walking indoors, a stationary bike, or a few gentle range-of-motion exercises in the morning can make a real difference. Dress warmly in layers, keep the joints that bother you covered, and try a warm shower or heating pad before activity to loosen up.
2. The Shoveling Back
- The risk: Snow is heavy, especially the wet stuff New Jersey loves. Bending, lifting, and twisting to throw a full shovel over your shoulder is a classic way to strain the lower back or aggravate a disc. Cold, unwarmed muscles make it worse.
- The fix: Warm up for five minutes first. Push snow instead of lifting it when you can. When you do lift, take smaller loads, bend your knees, keep the shovel close, and turn your feet instead of twisting your spine. Take breaks. And if you have heart disease or are not active, talk with your doctor about whether you should be shoveling at all.
3. The Thanksgiving Travel Back and Neck
- The risk: Hours on the Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway, a cramped flight out of Newark, then a weekend on a pull-out couch. Prolonged sitting loads the discs in the lower back, and hoisting bags into overhead bins or trunks while stiff is how a lot of strains happen.
- The fix: Stop every hour or two on long drives to walk for a few minutes. Use a small rolled towel behind your lower back. Pack lighter, lift luggage with your legs, and keep it close to your body. In the kitchen, stand with one foot on a low step or open cabinet ledge to take pressure off your back during long cooking sessions.
What Actually Protects You
- Move every day. Consistency matters more than intensity.
- Strengthen your legs and core. Strong hips and thighs take load off knees and backs.
- Warm up before cold-weather chores. Shoveling and raking are workouts. Treat them that way.
- Keep a healthy weight through the holidays. Extra weight adds load to every step on your knees and hips.
- Do not ignore early stiffness. It is easier to treat in November than in February.
Red Flags: When to Come In
Make an appointment if you notice:
- Back or neck pain that travels into an arm or leg, or comes with numbness, tingling, or weakness
- A joint that is hot, red, or significantly swollen
- Morning stiffness that lasts more than an hour or keeps getting worse
- Pain that wakes you up at night or does not improve after one to two weeks of rest and simple care
- A knee or hip that buckles, locks, or stops you from walking normally
Loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin area, or chest pain or shortness of breath while shoveling are emergencies. Call 911.
Stay Ahead of Winter
Cold-weather pain is common. It is not something you have to just live with until spring. In my practice, we focus on non-surgical care: an accurate diagnosis, targeted physical therapy, image-guided injections, nerve blocks, and regenerative options when they make sense.
Whether you are walking the paths at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown before the first snow, shoveling a driveway in Hazlet, or heading down the Parkway for Thanksgiving dinner, our team is nearby. We see patients in Clifton, Edison, West Orange, Jersey City, and Hazlet.
Do not let the dark months shrink your world. Let’s keep you moving.
Dipan Patel, MD
Double Board-Certified Spine & Joint Specialist