Chronic Pain Relief During Cold Weather
Many individuals who experience chronic pain notice worsening symptoms during colder weather. Whether you experience joint pain or other chronic pain, you may be able to predict storms or temperature changes simply through your pain levels. Learn why these types of pain can increase during cold weather and find out how to find relief.
Why Does Cold Weather Increase Chronic Pain?
While applying heat to muscles and joints can help them relax and move more easily, cold does the opposite. Cold weather often increases chronic pain as muscles become more tense and barometric pressure changes. Changes in barometric pressure can increase pain in the joints as well as trigger headaches and migraines. Unfortunately, the winter months are often accompanied by increased pain for many individuals.
Cold Weather Strategies for Pain Relief
There are a few lifestyle choices that some people find effective in reducing chronic pain in the cold. On top of maintaining a healthy diet that’s right for your needs and getting plenty of sleep each night, you may find relief through the following strategies.
Heat Pads
Some individuals find temporary pain relief by applying a heating pad or electric blanket to the area impacted by the chronic pain. This effort to warm the body and loosen tight muscles may alleviate pain.
Increased Exercise
Although exercising may feel more difficult in colder months, staying active and incorporating movement into your everyday routine can help keep chronic pain at bay. Stretching, taking walks, and adding movement frequently throughout the day can drastically improve some chronic pain conditions.
Winter months bring not only cold weather but also fewer hours of sunlight, which for some, can lead to worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression. These mental health conditions often go hand in hand with chronic pain, making it challenging to keep moving and therefore triggering more pain caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Being aware of this cycle and consciously maintaining a healthy exercise routine can help decrease pain.
Medication
For some, the most convenient and accessible option for addressing chronic pain is to take medication. Unfortunately, this method only masks the symptoms instead of addressing the source of the pain, and it may come with unexpected side effects.
Warm Clothing
Keeping your body from becoming too cold even when you need to go outside in the winter can help protect your muscles and joints from the impacts of cold weather. Bundling up with warm clothing can help reduce the effects of the cold weather on chronic pain.
Long–Term Pain Relief Treatment
For many, the strategies above are not effective or long–lasting enough to truly relieve chronic pain. Chronic pain can take a serious toll on everyday life, impacting every facet, from work and chores to hobbies and family time. For those who are ready for a long–lasting, top–tier solution, Chronic Care of Richmond may be able to help.
As a leader in natural medicine, Chronic Care of Richmond aims to treat chronic pain at its source. With a non–drug, non–surgical approach, Chronic Care of Richmond provides personalized plans and treatments to help heal chronic pain. For those who have tried other pain relief methods and have not found the desired results or would prefer to avoid expensive and risky surgeries, Chronic Care of Richmond is an ideal option. Request a consultation today!