Older adults and people with chronic joint pain are more likely to experience aches and pains in cold weather.
Conditions that may get worse in winter
- Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis, is caused by the wear and tear of the cartilage in the joints. Cartilage gradually wears away with age, causing bone to rub against bone, causing a grinding sound and severe pain.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: This is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the cells lining the joints, causing swelling, inflammation, and pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause severe morning stiffness, general fatigue, and can attack other organs such as the lungs. If left untreated, rheumatoid arthritis can cause further damage to your body, so you should see a doctor to treat the condition.
- Back and neck pain: Back and neck pain can be caused by the muscles, ligaments, joints in the back or by pinched nerves. The back muscles are the largest muscles in the body and they can become stiff in cold weather. Anxiety, lack of sleep, poor posture at work, especially when sitting at a desk, and stress during the winter can all aggravate back and neck pain. Regular stretching, changing positions frequently, avoiding sitting for long periods of time, and taking short walks after 30 minutes of sitting can help relieve pain. Physical activity and physical therapy are also great ways to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture.
- Raynaud’s disease: This is a condition that affects blood circulation, in which the blood vessels in your hands and feet become sensitive to cold, causing them to constrict and reduce blood supply. This causes severe pain and a prickling sensation and often changes colour from white, blue to deep red as blood flow returns. Prevention is better than cure in Raynaud’s disease and warm clothing, socks and gloves can help prevent attacks. Quitting smoking and cutting down on caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and cola can also help reduce the frequency of attacks.
- Sports injuries and old injuries: These injuries are often more painful in cold weather.
- Migraines: Some people with migraines are more sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and cold weather can trigger attacks by causing an imbalance in brain chemicals. Regular exercise, staying hydrated, good sleep habits and stress management will reduce the frequency of these attacks.
Why do joints hurt more in cold weather?
There are a number of reasons why pain increases in cold weather:
1. Changes in atmospheric pressure
Our joints are supported by muscles, tendons and ligaments, and changes in atmospheric pressure as the temperature drops can cause these tissues to relax and stiffen.
Furthermore, in cold weather, the atmospheric pressure drops and the lubricating fluid in the joints and the small air bubbles normally present inside the joints can expand and stretch the sensitive joint capsules, causing pain and stiffness.
2. Stretching of the fascia
Lower temperatures cause different tissues to contract differently, and this stretches the sensitive fascia that surrounds them. Stretching of the fascia can cause pain and stiffness. The resulting muscle spasms can even put pressure on the nerves that travel between the muscles. This is especially true in the case of neck pain and headaches (occipital neuralgia).
3. Lack of physical activity
During cold weather, people try to stay indoors and are less active, and this reduced activity causes more pain and stiffness in the muscles. Resting instead of using the muscles for long periods of time will weaken them. Muscles begin to break down when they are not used to their full capacity and stiffness is a result of the muscles contracting and tightening. Stretching and exercise will provide oxygenated blood to the muscles, helping to reduce stiffness.
4. Restricted blood flow
When our bodies are exposed to cold weather, the body restricts blood flow to the extremities such as the hands and feet to conserve heat and this makes the soft tissues around the joints less elastic, causing stiffness and pain.
Top tips for preventing cold weather aches and pains
- Maintain a healthy weight and an active lifestyle, an unhealthy weight puts too much pressure on your joints, accelerating wear and tear. An active lifestyle maintains bone strength and keeps your muscles strong. Exercise improves your physical and mental health and improves sleep.
- Stay warm, wear appropriate clothing when you go out, this keeps your muscles warm and supple, reduces stiffness and prepares them for activity. Wearing layers of clothing such as soft, breathable cotton that hugs your body and a sweater or fleece over it will trap air and keep you warm. Compression socks and gloves also help retain heat and maintain blood flow in your hands and feet, which is especially important for people with Raynaud’s. Ears are sensitive to cold so make sure you cover them properly too.
- Warming up before exercise helps prepare your muscles for exercise and therefore reduces injury. This is especially important in winter as muscles tend to stiffen when you start exercising.
- Moving around at home, indoor exercises such as yoga, Pilates, treadmills, indoor cycling or the gym can be helpful on rainy days.
- Keeping your bedroom temperature above 18 degrees at night. Eating a warm meal at least once a day and drinking a warm drink throughout the day will also help you cope with the cold weather.
- Taking a vitamin D supplement may also help. Low sunlight can cause vitamin D deficiency and one study found that 80% of the UK population had suboptimal vitamin D levels in winter.
- Eggs, milk, cheese and oily fish are all good sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone development, immunity and metabolism.
- Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and helps reduce joint stiffness. You can buy it from health food stores.
Last but not least, it is important to recognise that pain is both a physical and emotional feeling. Constant pain affects the mind and can amplify the pain you are feeling. As well as getting good sleep and regular exercise, mindfulness and taking time to do things you enjoy, along with talking therapy, can all have a positive impact on your wellbeing.
