The cold makes arthritis seem worse
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There is a group that’s suffering even more than the rest of us during this cold snap. People with arthritis often have increased joint pain when the temperature drops.
The reason behind it isn’t completely clear. But, we do tend to move around less in the winter months. And even though it’s tempting to hunker down when it’s cold outside, it might be making your pain worse.
For Joanna Muckle, a rheumatoid arthritis sufferer, a cold snap is more than an inconvenience: “All my joints get very, very sore. There seems to be a feeling of inflammation. I get really stiff. Being out in the cold is agony.”
Joanne gives herself two injections a month to keep her rheumatoid arthritis under control. But when the temperature drops below ten degrees, her hips, knees and shoulders seize up.
Symptoms like this affect thousands of arthritis sufferers.
Irene Rand is a physiotherapist with The Arthritis Society: “People might have already established some protocols in how to enjoy their day to day existence and all of a sudden, now there’s a little bit of a monkey wrench thrown in. They’re stiffer, they have more pain. So the strategies that were working before might not be working as well anymore.”
According to The Arthritis Society, studies haven’t pinpointed a direct link between cold and arthritis. Constricted blood vessels could be a cause and so could low mood. But the most likely reason is lack of movement. Physical activity is essential to managing arthritis.
Irene Rand says: “It helps to rejuvenate the fluid that normally circulates in the joints, it helps re-lubricate things.”
Even in the cold weather, it’s important to be active.
If you do go outside, bundle up to keep your blood flowing. Or, try exercising in a heated pool to take pressure off your joints.
Joanne Muckle says: “When you get into that, it’s heaven. All the ache and the pain leaves. And when you come out, there’s no ache or pain.”
For Joanna, sticking to a fitness routine is what gets her through the winter.
Arthritis can also slow your reaction time, so it’s important to wear footwear with good traction when the weather is bad to prevent slipping.
