It is often said that people who have joint pain or have had significant procedures to address their pain begin to feel worse when the weather starts to cool off. Alternatively, they feel better when the weather starts to heat up again, as their joints positively react to the warmer climate. Studies have shown that a decrease in the overall temperature directly affect and increase the joint pain in patients, but why is this the case? Throughout this article, we will explore the link between weather and joint pain and how you can acknowledge the signs and avoid the symptoms that come with it. If you’re searching for a talented pain doctor in Orange County, call the Centers of Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine today to set up your first consultation appointment now!
How Weather Affects Your Joint Pain
If you suffer from a joint pain disease like arthritis, or if you have had a reconstructive surgery that utilized metal components for the repair, chances are your pain or sensitivity increases when it starts getting colder outside. There is even a popular saying about people who have arthritis being able to sense when the weather starts to cool off, as their paint or sensitivity increases significantly in these colder weather conditions.
When fall and winter seasons begin to affect the climate, your joint pain can increase for several unknown reasons. While scientists have tried to research the connection between decreased temperature levels and the increase of joint pain, the closest resolution they have reached is that the cold increases the amount of inflammation in joints, causing arthritis problems to flair. For patients who have had metal components inserted due to a reconstructive surgery, the metal reacts with the temperature drop, and increases the sensitivity to the colder weather. This negative reaction results in a vibration frequency that stems from the site of the reconstruction and affects your entire body. The vibration reaction creates a feeling of increased pain in severe cold weather.
When your joint pain begins to significantly increase due to the weather changes, it is a result of the pressure in the air decreasing, which causes your muscles, tendons and scar tissue to contract, which causes a sharp tightening pain, especially in joints affected with arthritis. If you continue to experience this sharp increase of pain even when the weather is not changing significantly, it may be time to schedule a consultation appointment with a pain doctor in Orange County. Don’t let your pain persist to an unbearable point, start on the journey to a pain free life with the help of the talented team of doctors at CRPM!
Avoiding and Decreasing Temperature Induced Pain in Your Joints
While moving to a warmer climate would help cold weather symptoms overall, it is a more unrealistic goal than some other steps you can take. Over the counter medications such as Advil or Ibuprofen will always help with the inflammation that has occurred, and these medications can also help decrease overall pain throughout your body. If your symptoms have begun to increase to an unbearable level even after you have tried to decrease it with medication, contact a pain doctor in Orange County immediately to make sure you have the problem diagnosed and checked out for any potential complications that could arise if you allow the pain to persist. Let the incredible doctors at CRPM help you decrease your daily pain level when you schedule your first consultation appointment today. Stop letting chronic pain affect your daily life with the help of the professionals at Centers of Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine now!
