Come winter and people with arthritis and stiffness of joints suffer like hell. This is because the soft tissues of the body swell up and put extra pressure on the joints, causing immense pain to many people suffering from this condition.
Says Mohanapriya S on the issue,
While there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that cold weather may exacerbate joint pain and stiffness, scientific studies on the relationship between weather and joint pain, such as arthritis, have produced mixed results. Some people with arthritis report increased pain and stiffness in cold weather, while others do not experience any significant changes. The scientific understanding of this phenomenon is not yet conclusive, and individual responses may vary.
So, what should we do to keep arthritis and joint pain away this winter? Let’s look at some simple techniques that can do the trick.
Methods to keep yourself pain-free this winter and have healthy joints
Here are some of the methods and techniques to help you minimize your joint pain and remain pain-free.
Keep yourself warm
Ensure that you wear enough layers of clothing on your person during winter. The use of heated blankets should be done to keep the joints warm. Keep your homes warm using heaters or burning some good old firewood.
Get moving
Keep yourself mobile by engaging yourself in regular but light exercises to keep your joints flexible. Swimming is a good exercise that is easy on the joints and can also keep them flexible. If you have a heated pool at home or in your neighborhood, make use of it. Additionally, do some stretching exercises and walk a lot in and around your home to keep those joints in excellent mobile condition.
Keep a healthy weight
Make sure that you do not gain weight this winter. This can be extremely dangerous for your joints as they take most of your body load. Eat a balanced diet and do regular exercise to keep a healthy weight.
Drink lots of water
Keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day can reduce the stiffness of joints. When the body goes into dehydration, the stiffness increases thereby causing pain.
Take the help of hot and cold therapy
Use warm towels or heat packs to get relief from joint stiffness. Additionally, using cold packs reduces inflammation and numbs the afflicted area.
Have some supplements
Using supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin can help alleviate some of the symptoms of joint pain. However, take the advice of your medical practitioner before starting these supplements.
Using over-the-counter medications
Having painkillers once or twice a month is alright if the joint pain is excessive. Similarly, anti-inflammatory medication can also reduce inflammation around the joints. But, it would be once again advisable to seek the advice of your medical practitioner on how much of these medications can be consumed.
Doing joint exercises
Engaging your joints in a 30-minute exercise session can be beneficial both for flexibility and mobility. Start by doing 15 minutes of warm-up exercises and then move on to the main exercises. Also, just before wrapping up your session, do 15 minutes of cool-off exercises to maintain the exercise that your joints have experienced. Do more stretching exercises.
Thus, these are simple yet effective techniques to alleviate joint pain and keep them mobile and flexible.
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