Dr. Anup Khatri
With the arrival of winters, people with injuries and arthritis complain of joint pains. Though there is no strong evidence suggesting a link between winter and joint pain, the possible cause may be the pressure that the air around us exerts on us decreases in the winter. This decrease in pressure has the potential to make the tissues near the joints expand and become more painful. The impact of heat can be used to explain the other potential wintertime cause of knee discomfort. During the winter, the fluid in tissues becomes more viscous. This increased viscosity causes the muscles’ suppleness to decline, which contributes to winter aches and pains.
Wintertime suffering is said to be more intense psychologically. People with mental sadness appear to feel more discomfort throughout the winter since fewer outside activities are possible due to the seasonal affective disorder that is more prevalent during this time. Due to undigested food, improper food consumption also contributes to knee discomfort in the winter. Despite how terrible winter arthritis may be, the following advice can help your joints function better and help you endure the season more easily.
What makes the issue worse in the winter?
Here are some potential causes of these orthopaedic issues throughout the winter:
- During the winter, the lubricant that protects our joints may thicken, which causes the joints to stiffen.
- Joint discomfort might originate from tissues expanding as a result of the drop in air pressure that comes with the arrival of cold weather.
- The winter months may cause the joints’ nerves to become more sensitive, which would exacerbate uneasiness.
- People tend to be less active throughout the winter than they are during other seasons, which is bad for keeping healthy joints.
- Winter causes the body to flow more blood to the core parts of the body and less circulation to the shoulders, legs, arms, and knee joints, which causes stiffness and discomfort.
Guidelines for Treating Joint Pain in Winter
- Exercising: Winter aches and pains can be lessened and overall health benefits can be increased via physical exercise. Exercises with low impacts, such as aerobics, weight training, heated pool swimming, and stationary cycling, can ease stiffness, improve blood flow, and support the knees. As a result, performing exercises can effectively manage winter arthritis.
- Diet: Diet is also very important. A balanced diet that includes lean proteins, increased fibre, refined carbohydrates, and low saturated fat can help the body function better in the winter. Winter aches and pains can be lessened by drinking water all day long. Consuming meals that are simple to digest, such as vegetables, is crucial. Consuming vegetables with diuretic characteristics, such as cucumbers and carrots, can aid in the body’s removal of waste.
- Vitamin D: Lack of vitamin D may make osteoarthritis worse. Vitamin D supplements should be used, or you should make sure your diet is vitamin D-rich. A powerful source of omega-3 fatty acids is fish oil. Increase your consumption of milk, which is a great source of calcium and protein for the bones. Sunlight exposure aids in the body’s absorption of vitamin D.
- Medications: Pain and inflammation can be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen. A viscous substance can be injected to treat the condition by reducing bone friction.
(The author is a Consultant, Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement, Global Hospitals, Mumbai. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)
