Maybe you’ve heard a family member complain about knee pain just before a storm. Or you’ve felt discomfort in your own joints when the temperature drops.
Joint pain that accompanies weather changes, particularly during the fall and winter, isn’t a superstition. Cold temperatures, combined with barometric pressure changes and precipitation, can exacerbate stiffness and aches.
“There are a couple of factors when it comes to weather-related joint pain,” says Dr. Stephen Ridgeway, an orthopedic surgeon with Bon Secours Piedmont Orthopaedics. “If you have arthritic complaints in a particular joint, or trauma from an old fracture or dislocation, your joints can become more weather sensitive.”
When it’s chilly, joint circulation is impacted, creating inflammation and pain, Ridgeway says. That’s because nerves and blood vessels in the arms and legs constrict to conserve core heat and protect vital organs, thereby reducing blood flow and circulation.
When storms cause barometric pressure to drop, tendons, muscles, and the surrounding tissues tend to expand. Because of the confined space within the body, this can cause pain, especially in joints. Additionally, inactivity on cold, damp days can exacerbate pain and stiffness. “When it’s cold, people don’t go out and do much, but that decreased activity, particularly if you have some arthritic pain or problems, can make it worse,” Ridgeway says.
“In the winter, you have more frequent fronts coming through, and in combination with the weather and the tendency to have decreased activity, all those things tend to add up and create weather-related pain,” he adds.
To alleviate short-term pain, ask your doctor which over-the-counter pain reliever is best to take, considering any health conditions. Using heating pads can also be helpful, and applying a topical pain-relief gel or cream can have “a physiological effect by opening up the capillaries around the joint, which increases blood flow,” Ridgeway says.
There are, however, some common-sense ways to prevent the weather’s effects on your joints. First, keep warm by “wearing gloves and socks and dressing in layers, particularly on days when it’s cold in the morning and warms up in the afternoon,” Ridgeway says.
Maintaining a healthy weight and finding a way to “remain moderately active” are crucial pain preventatives. “Moderate, low-impact exercise helps nourish those joints, and it helps get your circulation working in the way that it should,” Ridgeway says.
A great way to stay active is with the Bon Secours Well Walkers, held Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. “It’s an environment where you can walk at your own pace on level ground. Walking on an incline can be bothersome if you have mobility issues or joint pain,” says Ridgeway, who often recommends walking to his patients.
“It is a weight-bearing activity, and it’s good for your bones and for your joints,” he adds, noting that indoor activities like yoga and stretching can also be beneficial.
But if weather-related joint pain begins to limit your quality of life for “more than a few weeks,” Ridgeway says you should see your primary care provider or one of Bon Secours’ orthopedic doctors.
“We can evaluate the problem, try to assess how severe it is, and decide on treatments,” he says. These options may include taking anti-inflammatory medications, undergoing physical therapy, receiving injections, or wearing a brace.
Bon Secours’ Piedmont Orthopaedics operates several clinics across the Upstate. To find an orthopedics doctor, visit https://www.bonsecours.com/find-a-doctor.
