Do you experience pain? On a regular basis, many of us suffer from chronic medical conditions or ailments that cause us pain.
Did you know: Arthritis is the most common chronic medical condition in the U.S.
Just a few of those pain-causing conditions are:
- Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Joint Pain
- Back Injury
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches, Migraines
In 400 B.C. Hippocrates noticed that many illnesses were related to changing seasons.
How about this weather? It is unsure why cold weather often causes people to experience a heightened sense of pain, but many of us do. When the temperatures drop we often feel more pain than we would normally experience.
2/3 of people living with chronic pain believe there to be a link between pain and changing weather. (According to the journal Pain)
Some blame it on the barometric pressure. Barometric pressure is the unit of weight used to measure the amount of pressure within the atmosphere. Many believe that when this pressure drops, usually prior to bad weather, the lack of pressure in the air causes the tissues in your body to expand, resulting in pain. In other words, when there is low barometric pressure in the atmosphere, your body can swell more easily.
Though there is no scientific evidence linking the change in barometric pressure with an increase in pain, it is very real for those who are suffering. No matter what the cause the end result cannot be denied. When the weather cools, your pain increases.
The purpose of this article is not to uncover the cause of your increased pain; we want to help you to find some relief!
Prevent Pain in the Changing Weather
- Eat Well
- Stay Warm
- Get Moving
- Limit sugar
- Stay Positive
- Stretch it out
- Spandex gloves
- Prevent Swelling
- Wear extra layers
- Use a heating pad
- Use a space heater
- Keep fluid from joints
- Keep a blanket in every room
- Compression shirts and pants
- Avoid high-fructose corn syrup
- Take a shower or soak in the tub
- Eat foods that are low in cholesterol
- Remind yourself that pain is temporary
- Endorphins from exercise can disguise pain
- Eat foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids
- A positive attitude can help you ignore the pain
- Keep your mind busy and try not to focus on the pain
- Do a series of gentle stretches and exercises each day
- Try an anti-inflammatory version of the Mediterranean diet
- Be sure you are getting Vitamin D, through food or supplements
- Yoga, Thai chi, and swimming are all low-stress activities for reducing joint pain
- Moving loosens stiff joints, keeps blood flowing and increases body temperature
- Wear a turtle neck or scarf to reduce pain in the cervical spine, neck and upper body
- Try using lots of ginger, turmeric, garlic, rosemary, walnuts, virgin olive oil and flax seed
- Exercise wards off stiffness and keeps you from gaining weight which puts more stress on your joints
Old man winter has arrived and since you can’t simply ask him to leave, just have him check the pain at the door. Living with chronic pain is frustrating and exhausting, to begin with, but when winter hits it can be depressing and debilitating. Try to follow some of these tips for staying warm and reducing your pain in the changing seasons.
Still having trouble finding relief?
Contact us today at Galioto Chiropractic Clinic and we can discuss a treatment plan that will help you live your life without pain.