Winter can be hell for those people who suffer from arthritis. Cold joints are much more sensitive to pain and having sensitive joints means that wintertime is even more uncomfortable.
Luckily we have found a few simple ways that can help you to avoid joint pain this winter. So are you suffering during the wintertime with joint pain? Do you dread the winter more because of your arthritis?
Let’s take a look at the simple ways we’ve found to avoid winter joint pain:
1. Exercise and Winter Joint Pain
Exercise and stretching is extremely beneficial for people with arthritis.[1] It’s even more important to exercise over the winter if you’re having joint pain because exercise warms up your joints. As you know, cold joints are more sensitive to pain so by exercising you’ll be helping to relieve some of the pain of arthritis.
Although you might not feel like exercising because you might not want to put extra stress on your joints there are some exercises, such as swimming, that are extremely beneficial. In fact, combining exercise with regular stretching will help a lot with winter joint pain.
Please remember to consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regime and make sure you’re doing exercises that are beneficial and not detrimental to your joint health.
2. Make Sure You Dress Warmly
We’ve spoken about how cold joints are more sensitive to the cold weather so it makes sense to dress up warm. Adding extra layers will help keep your joints warm, making sure to layer up over the areas that are most affected by your arthritis such as extra socks or trousers for sore knees and gloves for sore fingers.
3. Stay Hydrated
Did you know that there have been studies on how dehydration affects joint pain? [2]Dehydration makes your joints more sensitive to the pain. Make sure you’re drinking enough water so that the symptoms of your arthritis and joint pain aren’t worsened by dehydration in the winter months. Remember that 2 liters a day are what you should be aiming for to stay hydrated.
4. Take Warm Baths
Hydrotherapy is actually really great for people who suffer from arthritis and joint pain. [3]Warm baths are a great way to get hydrotherapy at home and they are even more beneficial in the winter.
When taking warm baths in the winter you’re getting a double whammy of hydrotherapy and warming up your joints. The best thing to do is take a warm bath with a cup or two of Epsom salts, submerge your aching joints and soak for around 30 minutes.
Read More – How To Treat Arthritis Knee Pain With Epsom Salt Baths?
5.Take Vitamin D Supplements
A study has shown that Vitamin D is really beneficial for sufferers of arthritis.[4] People who are deficient in Vitamin D have more sensitive joints so it’s paramount in the winter to make sure that your joints are well taken care of so that if they do become cold they’re not even more sensitive. Taking a daily Vitamin D supplement would be beneficial or choosing a multivitamin that has Vitamin D in it.
6. Eat Oily Fish
Oily fish is so beneficial because of the fact that it is one of the best sources of Omega 3 – Fatty Acids. Omega 3- Fatty Acids are valuable for sufferers of arthritis and joint pain as studies have shown. One study found that Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers treated with daily supplements of Omega 3 – Fatty Acids reported less pain and an overall improvement of the disease.[5]
7. Heat Therapy
It goes without saying that heat therapy is extra helpful for people who suffer from arthritis during the winter. Studies have shown that heat therapy helps relieve the symptoms of arthritis and joint pain.[6] During the winter heat therapy is even more beneficial as it also keeps the joints from becoming too cold and therefore more sensitive to pain.
8. Make Use of Creams and Gels
There are a number of different over-the-counter creams and gels that work great for arthritis and joint pain. In fact, there’s a study that has shown that Capsaicin Cream is a safe and effective method of relieving joint pain caused by arthritis.[7] Creams and gels help to target the source of pain more efficiently and you might find they are more beneficial to you than oral medication.
9. Have a Hot Drink
In the winter you need to do what you can to keep those joints warm and drinking hot drinks are an effective way of warming up your body. By warming up your body you’re helping to prevent your joints from becoming cold and sensitive to the pain of arthritis. So try sipping on a nice cup of tea – in fact, green tea has a lot of health benefits for people with arthritis – or hot cocoa to help warm you up this winter.
10. Take Your Supplements
Remember to take your supplements, in particular taking a combination of Glucosamine Sulphate and Chondroitin will help greatly with joint pain and arthritis this winter. There have been studies that have shown that a combination of Glucosamine Sulphate and Chondroitin can actually improve the symptoms of arthritis.[8]
Taking these two supplements along with the Omega 3 – Fatty Acids and Vitamin D mentioned above could greatly reduce the pain in your joints over the winter months.
Read Next: What are the Best Natural Joint Relief Foods To Fight Joint Pain?
Conclusion
We know it can be difficult over the winter months for people who suffer from arthritis and joint pain. The key thing to remember, over the winter, is to keep warm, keep moving and take your supplements. Keep warm and prevent your joints from becoming cold and more sensitive to pain. You may also interested in trying the joint pain relief supplements like Heal N Soothe and Relief Factor.
Keep moving to prevent joint stiffness and take those supplements to help boost the pain-fighting parts of your brain and repair your joints. Do you suffer from arthritis and joint pain? Do you have any other tips for others who suffer from arthritis this winter? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
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