Not to take anything away from our terrific local weather forecasters, but I’ve found that my knees and shoulder are decent temperature-change prognosticators; they tend to ache more right before the weather shifts. That’s why I found the following news from a Cleveland Clinic doctor interesting but not surprising: winter’s cold weather may be the reason our joints creak and pop more than usual.
Elaine Husni, a Clinic rheumatologist, explains the science behind the theory. “In cold weather, we have lower barometric pressure and sometimes that can increase swelling in certain areas. And you may not know this, but in your knee joint or wrist joint or any joints, those are really small spaces surrounded by joint capsule. So anything that might increase swelling, even a little bit, people may feel it more and they can get joint pain,” she says.
Dr. Husni adds that blood vessels can constrict, lowering the blood supply in your toes and fingers. And that, in turn, can cause more pain and stiffness. As we age, there is less water content in the muscles and joints, so you may feel more soreness.
Dr. Husni recommends drinking plenty of fluids to offset this loss. She said it’s also beneficial to maintain a healthy weight; being overweight puts pressure on your body and causes inflammation. So, if you’re routinely feeling symptoms, don’t ignore them.
“If you have really persistent joint pain in the cold, or the joint pain is escalating in the cold, or you have a lot of swelling with the joint that is lasting more than one to two months, you might want to see your primary care physician or rheumatologist to get that addressed and to make sure there is nothing going on in addition to just cold weather causing joint discomfort.”
Dr. Husni said that working out is important, too. Yoga or swimming can build muscle tone while stretching; strength training can help bones and joints work better together.
