Although everyone has their own season preference, winter isn’t liked by numerous, particularly those who have a cardiac illness, lung conditions & common problems. People suffering from arthritis feel that their symptoms are worsening in cold times. There’s an increase in morning stiffness, the movements in the joints come painfully. There’s difficulty in carrying out daily operations of day-to-day living. The demand for pain killers to treat the symptoms increases. So then are some health tips to beat the winter blues for people suffering from habitual joint problems.
Stay Warm
It’s a well-known fact that keeping oneself warm decreases the pain & stiffness in the joints. So one should add an excess tier of clothes to keep themselves cosy. Don’t step outdoors if you aren’t adequately covered with woollens. The painful joints can be covered with knee caps, elbow supports, ankle supports depending upon the joint involved.
Hot Packs- Nothing soothes the chronically painful joint further than hot packs. One can pour hot water while taking bath or can use hot water bags, gel pads, electric heating pads. But aware of the streamlets caused by excess heat usages. Generally, a 15-20-minute session 2-3 times a day is sufficient. Massaging with creams & essential oils is also good for accelerating the blood inflow in the joints.
Exercise
Your instincts in the winters may tell you to stay under the bedding but if you want to feel good, stay active. The exercises should start in the bed itself before getting down to beat the morning stiffness. One should start with toe frizzes & toe spreads. Also, slowly move your knees. Bend them & unbend those 5 times on each side. Also move your fritters, wrist & elbows. Also, at last, do chine stretching. You’ll feel much better when you get out of bed after this & this whole process doesn’t take further than 3-4 split seconds. One should also go out for a walk at least 3 times a week. Try exercise that doesn’t strain your joints like yoga, swimming etc. However, lightweights, balance balls or resistance bands, If it’s too cold outside one can do a stationary bike. Regular common exercises increase mobility while reducing stiffness & pain.
Eat Healthy
One of the advantages of midwinter is that a great variety of fruits & veggies are available in this season. It matters a lot what you’re putting on your plate. One should avoid sugar & trans fats as they tend to increase common pains. They also lead to weight gain which further leads to further stress on joints, reducing mobility.
- Broccoli, sprouts and cabbage – These vegetables have sulforaphane, which helps slow cartilage damage in joints.
- Fatty fish – Fatty fish like salmon, tuna & trout are rich in omega-3 greasy acids, which help fight inflammation & drop stiffness.
- Garlic – It contains daily disulphide that may help in lowering symptoms of arthritis.
- Turmeric – Turmeric contains a mixture called curcumin, which is helpful in the operation of the chronic inflammatory-allied joint disorder.
- Vitamin C – Antioxidants in vitamin C decelerate the progression of OA. You can get vitamin C from strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, orange & lemon.
- Nuts & Raisins – These are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which helps in reducing inflammation.
- Green Tea – It also provides useful anti-oxidants which are useful in managing weight gain & lowering the symptoms of arthritis.
Last but not least keep yourself well hydrated by having lots of liquids as there’s a tendency to have minor water in wintertime.
Every arthritis patient is different & one has to find out what works for them the relaxed. But the below-mentioned tips along with a positive mindset are key to fighting the pain.
So stay active, stay healthy & stay pain-free this wintertime.
Dr. Pankaj Gunjal is an Orthopaedic surgeon and adept to perform simple to most complex orthopaedic surgery procedures in patients of all ages. This includes medical and surgical care for bone and joint problems resulting from injuries, infections, nutritional or metabolic disorders. Contact us at Kothrud by the Orthocare Bones and Joints Clinic.
