Winter is definitely here. That means it’s the time of year where a lot of our patients tell us their joint or muscular pain is worse when they’re cold. But why might that be? And what can you do about it?
So why does everything hurt more when it’s cold?
There are lots of theories about why things are more painful when the cold weather hits. Some say it’s because of reduced blood supply when it’s colder and that means inflammation tends to sit in joints, and joints aren’t as well nourished as they would be when blood supply is better. Other’s suggest it’s because the nervous system is more excited and sensitive, and still others suggest it’s because muscles are tighter when it’s cold. Or maybe it’s because people naturally don’t exercise as much in winter as it’s not as tempting to go out.
I suspect it’s a combination of all of these and probably a few other factors too, but one thing that we consistently see is that the pain can be improved.
Top tips for fighting winter pains
Keep warm and use heat
It sounds obvious, but when you go out, make sure you wrap up warm and try not to hunch yourself up against the cold. When you’re at home, get some heat (hot water bottle, heat pack, warm bath or shower) on the areas that ache. 15-20 minutes at a time works well.
Keep achey joints moving
Keep the blood supply going by regularly keeping joints moving. Gentle, regular movements are the way to go to coax joints into moving rather than forcing them. These are particularly useful first thing in the morning and last thing at night as you’ll tend to stiffen up overnight a little. You will likely find you have to do more movement when you’re cold to keep your joints feeling good than you do when it’s warm.
Keep doing regular exercise
Walking, swimming, or an exercise bike are all great for keeping things moving, the blood supply good and the muscles strong. Exercise doesn’t have to be too intense, just something that get’s you moving. Even a little bit is better than none. The problem is that none of these are quite as tempting when it’s cold, so try to pick something you enjoy to make it more likely you’ll do it regularly.
Aching joints in winter aren’t inevitable
If you follow the three tips above, most aches and pains from the cold will improve, if not completely, then they should feel easier. However, if you want advice on which exercises would be best for your particular pain, or want some treatment to help improve the pain, then please get in touch. Physio can definitely help.
You can other click on the speech bubbles in the bottom right corner to send us a message, or find your nearest clinic here to get in touch for some expert Physiotherapy help.
