What to do to reduce symptoms of bone and joint pain in cold weather?

GĐXH – According to experts, low temperatures in cold weather will affect the synovial membrane of the joints, causing the joints to swell and stiffen, causing symptoms of pain or arthritis, especially in the knees, shoulders and hands.

Bone and joint diseases increase in cold weather

Every cold season, Mrs. VTM (62 years old, in Ha Dong, Hanoi ) is tormented by aching bones and joints, especially pain in the back and knee joints. According to this woman, the colder the weather, the more severe the pain, making it difficult for her to move. Not only that, the feeling of numbness and pain like "needle pricks" makes Mrs. M always restless, often waking up in the middle of the night.

Insomnia and limited mobility seriously affected her quality of life. Therefore, every winter, Mrs. M always felt annoyed, even "scared".

BSCKII. Pham Van Cuong - Head of Internal Medicine Department, Ha Dong General Hospital examines a patient being treated at the department. Photo: BVCC.

In fact, in the cold season, the number of patients hospitalized for treatment of bone and joint diseases also tends to increase.

BSCKII. Pham Van Cuong - Head of Internal Medicine Department, Ha Dong General Hospital said that in recent cold days, the number of patients with bone and joint pain admitted and treated at the department has increased suddenly, mainly the elderly.

According to Dr. Cuong, low temperatures in cold weather will affect the synovial membrane of the joints, causing the joints to swell and stiffen, causing symptoms such as pain or arthritis, most commonly in the knee, shoulder and hand joints. This symptom is more common in the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, many underlying diseases or patients who have had chronic bone and joint diseases before.

From the perspective of traditional medicine, according to Master, Doctor Vu Van Dai, Department of Traditional Medicine, 108 Central Military Hospital, when the weather is cold, daily exercise habits are reduced, causing poor blood circulation, contributing to worsening bone and joint diseases.

For people with chronic joint disease, when the body's resistance and self-protection ability decrease, pathogenic factors together affect the meridians, muscles, and joints, causing the circulation of blood and energy in the meridians to be blocked, causing pain.

Cold is a very important factor, so cold and humid weather makes the patient's pain increase. Especially in the elderly, the body's functions are weakened, causing the blood to stagnate and decrease, not nourishing the meridians, causing pain and joint degeneration.

If the patient is subjective and does not receive timely examination and treatment, the disease can be difficult to control and can have serious consequences for movement.

What to do when you have joint pain?

According to Dr. Vu Van Dai, when the joints show signs of pain and stiffness, it is necessary to warm up the area around the pain by rubbing oil or hot balm, using hot compresses, mugwort leaves roasted with salt... to dilate the blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate easily to nourish the joints.

Keep your body warm, have proper nutrition habits, and exercise gently to limit joint pain in cold weather. Illustration photo.

Absolutely do not apply or rub hot oil directly onto the acutely inflamed joint (swelling, heat, redness, pain) as it will make the inflammation worse.

In addition, you should wear socks and gloves to keep your limbs warm. If you stay indoors, you should wear slippers and when you go out, you should wear shoes and boots to protect your feet. Note that when it is cold, you should bathe with warm water and bathe in a sheltered place; avoid exercising outdoors when the weather is too cold, windy, humid or rainy...

To reduce pain, it is necessary to reduce activity and pressure on joints such as using a cane, handrails, wearing gloves or patches on the joints, wearing a belt, massage, applying warm compresses...

In particular, it is necessary to avoid following unscientific word-of-mouth experiences, drugs and functional foods of unknown origin if you do not want your condition to get worse.

How to prevent joint pain in winter

Keep your body warm

Pay attention to weather forecasts, especially when the weather turns cold, to have effective defense methods such as: increasing body warmth. Keeping warm is always the most important issue in winter. It is necessary to keep the body, neck, chest, hands, and feet warm, especially paying attention to keeping warm joints that are susceptible to degeneration (knee joints, ankle joints, wrists, hands, etc.).

Limit sitting in one place for long periods of time

Give up the habit of sitting in one place for too long and take a few minutes to walk around and do some light exercise to help relax your mind and prevent degenerative diseases of the neck, shoulders, and spine.

Reasonable diet

It is necessary to have a reasonable, nutritious and balanced diet to maintain a moderate weight, avoid obesity and overweight. You should pay attention to your diet, such as paying attention to supplementing enough protein, vitamins, especially vitamin C, D and trace elements; at the same time, eat a lot of foods containing a lot of calcium such as milk, soy products, nuts, vegetables, fruits, etc.

Stay away from certain foods that can affect bone and joint diseases because these foods will produce substances that can increase the burden on joints, including: stimulants, red meat, frozen foods, animal organs, fast foods, hot foods, foods that are too sour or too salty.

Use of drugs appropriately

When your joints are painful, you should see a doctor early to get the appropriate treatment. Do not use painkillers without consulting a doctor, which often contain corticosteroids, which can easily damage the stomach, cause swelling, and weaken the immune system.

Gentle exercise

Many people with joint pain are often afraid of pain so they do not dare to move, making the joints become more stiff. However, in fact, when suffering from arthritis, people should exercise regularly but gently to help blood circulation, cartilage tissue absorb nutrients and increase secretion, lubricating the joints.

Some simple exercises such as: Swimming, cycling, soccer, badminton, martial arts, tai chi, qigong, yoga... can help reduce joint pain and improve mobility. This is very useful not only for the skeletal system but also for strengthening and protecting health in the cold season.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/cach-khac-phuc-va-phong-ngua-can-benh-la-noi-am-anh-trong-mua-dong-172241217194040913.htm