Why does cold weather cause joint pain?
According to Dr. Vishal Lapshia, Orthopedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon, AIMS Hospital, Dombivli (India), joint pain in cold weather is explained by changes in atmospheric pressure causing tendons to contract, and joint fluid to coagulate, especially in the elderly, causing inflammation, joint pain and difficulty in movement.
Additionally, cold weather can cause muscles to tighten, reduce joint flexibility, and contribute to stiffness. For some people, the drop in temperature can also reduce blood flow to the extremities, exacerbating joint pain and discomfort.
Who is susceptible to joint pain in cold weather?
Joint pain in cold weather is common in the elderly, middle-aged people or people with a history of bone and joint diseases. Patients feel pain, discomfort, and limit daily activities.
In addition, if treatment is delayed, it can lead to serious complications in the long term such as joint adhesion, joint deformity or loss of motor function. Therefore, when detecting joint pain when the weather turns cold, you should go to the hospital for timely examination and treatment.
How to reduce joint pain in cold weather
Always keep your body warm: Use gloves, socks, and wear warm clothes to keep your body warm in cold weather to help protect your bones and joints from being affected by the weather.
Regular exercise: Exercising in cold weather helps keep the body warm and reduces joint pain and stiffness in patients with arthritis.
Maintain a healthy weight: When the weather gets cold, you should pay attention to increasing calcium and vitamin supplements to help reduce joint pain. In addition to providing enough protein for the body, increasing foods such as soybeans, nuts, salmon, kale, etc. will help supplement calcium to strengthen bones and reduce pain.
Maintain a healthy weight: Limit foods and drinks that are high in stimulants, too salty or too fatty to limit the accumulation of salt and fat that causes excess weight. Joint pain due to osteoarthritis is common in overweight and obese people because the joints are under a lot of pressure.
