5 Tricks to relieve Joint Pain this Winter!

Despite the bone-chilling cold of winter weather, do you want to keep your joints happy? These are some ways to relieve joint pain.

Why does the cold weather cause joint pain and stiffness?

If you are one of the 2.2 million Australians who live with arthritis, winter may well take a toll on your joints.

Unfortunately, there is no one explanation for why colder temperatures affect your joints. It is believed that, drops in barometric pressures and humidity cause pain, in particularly arthritis-affected joints.

With that in mind, here are some top tips to help manage that pain safely and naturally.

Tip 1: Be Active

The last thing you might want to do during winter is to exercise. Exercise is essential for people with joint pain or Arthritis. Even if you are experiencing joint pain or arthritis, doing some form of exercise on a daily basis will help this pain.

The Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology Director, Professor Rachelle Buchbinder says, "The best approach for osteoarthritis of the knees is to also stay active, do knee strengthening exercises and maintain a healthy weight."

If an active workout is not possible, doing a gentle range of motion exercises can keep your muscles moving.

Or try an online low impact workout, that can be done from a wheelchair or seated position.

Doing exercise not only helps to ease joint pain but also increases flexibility and strength. It also provides a safe and effective way to overcome fatigue.

Tip 2: Maintain a healthy Weight

Something that many people are unaware of is that being overweight can further aggravate joint pain and arthritis.

Every step you take, the pressure on your knees is three to four times your body weight. So, losing even 2kg can take 8kg of the pressure off your knees when you walk. This additional weight also puts extra pressure on your hips and feet.

Finally, maintaining a healthy weight can also improve mobility and prevent further damage to joints which of course would cause additional pain.

Trick 3: Gent enough Vitamin D

people often get less Vitamin D in winter due to the reduced sunshine as well as less time spent outdoors. Vitamin D is produced when bare still is exposed to sunlight. With lower Vitamin D levels, people are more likely to have joint pain and increased sensitivity to this pain.

During these cold months, make sure that you are eating vitamin D fortified foods and getting sunshine whenever possible. Speak to your doctor about checking your level of Vitamin D to make sure you are not deficient. If you are on low levels, Vitamin D supplements could be an option to relieving joint pains in winter.

Trick 4: Keep warm

The heat helps boost blood flow which increases tolerance for joint pain. It also relaxes muscles and reduces stiffness. In order to stay warm both indoors and outdoors you can:

• Dress in layers to ensure that you are warm enough in the cold yet able to peel off layers and stay comfortable if needed.
• Prepare heating pads or hot water bottles to hug against your body
• Take a warm shower or relax in a hot bath
• Wear gloves to protect your hands
• Consider hats and scarves to maintain your body heat
• Sleep on a sheepskin mat to stay warm at night
• Use custom fitting heating pads such as a shoulder cuff or a pair of slippers

Trick 5: Meditation

Studies have shown there are four types of meditation that can help relax your mind and relieve joint pain. However, the trick to being effective is sticking to a routine. Nothing can take away symptoms of arthritis, but regular mindfulness exercises can teach you coping strategies.

Remembering these tips will provide you with ways to relieve joint pain and make it this cold winter more enjoyable.

To make winter even more bearable, check out our winter sale!

We are sure there are lots of other tips you can share to keep warm this winter. Share them in the comments.

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