Winter Joint Pain? Unraveling the Mystery

So what causes winter joint pain? Unraveling the mystery isn’t easy but we have outlined a few tips and tricks to help you out.

Understanding the winter ache during the colder months is an important part of feeling your best year-round. We sometimes feel as though our body is completely locked up and our joints can become extremely uncomfortable. This is not a phenomenon with no scientific explanation. It is very common and most importantly there are action steps that can be taken to minimise the level of pain you can experience.

 

Why do I have winter joint pain?

 

There are a few reasons for this:

 

1. Temperature drops: The drop in temperature can result in a change in the viscosity of your synovial fluid in your joints. Synovial fluid is a lubricant in your joints and when it becomes thicker due to cold temperatures, the joints can become painful to move.

 

2. We train less! Quite often when it is cold, it’s easy to want to stay indoors and on the couch in front of the heater watching a movie rather than getting your body moving. When we exercise less, we hurt more.

 

3. Comfort food: Quite often comfort food can help us get through the winter months. These types of food can be high in inflammatory factors that can wreak havoc on your pain with excess inflammation.

 

4. Barometric Pressure Changes: The pressure of the air in the earth’s atmosphere increases as the temperature drops. So, when it gets colder think about the extra external pressure that is placed upon your joints.

 

Coping Strategies and What We Can Do About!

 

1. Stay Active: This should come as no surprise to you, that the best way to warm your body is from the inside out. Start slow and warm up the body gradually but most of all just start! The first few minutes are always the hardest but in no time, you will have those joints oiled up and ready to roll!
2. Keep your body warm: This can be done in a variety of ways.  We can’t exactly stay in a bath all winter, but we can wear adequate winter clothing.  Warm clothing will help improve the viscosity of the fluid in your joints thus improving our winter joint pain.
3. Hydration: During the winter months we are quite often dehydrated due to the lack of desire to drink water. This can be detrimental to the fluid in our joints. So, drink up folks! And water that is 🙂
4. Healthy Eating:  The importance of good nutrition and eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods can’t be stressed enough. This will help to reduce any inflammation that can cause the ache.

 

 

 

Check out this interesting blog by bauerfiend to get some more tips and tricks on how to help winter aches and pains

 

So that’s it folks! Unraveling the mystery of what causes the winter joint pains and the ache that we hate!

Keep moving, keep those joints warm and most of all keep smiling as springtime is just around the corner!