If you’ve ever spent a little too much time out in the sun without lubing up, you know what it feels like to have a back area that’s hot to the touch. You probably learned your lesson about sunscreen, but what happens if you back gets hot and you weren’t out in the sun? What could be causing your back to get hot?
Why Does My Back Feel Hot?
Feeling The Heat
A hot back or a burning sensation can be caused by a variety of conditions, some more serious than others. Outside of physically burning your back with chemicals or fire, some conditions that may cause you to experience a burning or warming sensation in your spine include:
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- A pinched nerve
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- Muscle sprains or strains
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- Muscle spasms
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- Infectious conditions, like shingles
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- Multiple Sclerosis or Encephalitis
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- Regionalized neuropathy
A burning or warming sensation can occur as a side effect of surgery.
Associated Symptoms and Treatment
Depending on the root cause of your condition, your warm back may be accompanied by additional symptoms, like numbness, redness, swelling, rash, muscle weakness or a pins-and-needles-like sensation.
Management of these symptoms and the burning sensation itself is typically best managed with non-operative methods, like rest, ice, heat, anti-inflammatory medications and exercise. Typically the sensation will resolve in a matter of minutes or within a few hours, but if symptoms linger for days, or your condition worsens, consult a specialist. As we mentioned above, the issue could be caused by neurological issues, which are best treated when discovered early.
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