How Cooler Weather Affects Chronic Pain

How Cooler Weather Affects Chronic Pain

Newsletter from Spine-health November 2016

Does cold weather worsen your pain? You’re not alone. Although various studies have shown no or very slight associations between pain and weather factors like temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and wind speed, patient experiences tell a different story. Many people report that damp or cold weather worsens their pain. One study of 800 Europeans with osteoarthritis found that 67% reported that they feel the weather affects their pain levels. (1)

In another small but fascinating study, those who had osteoarthritis reported a greater sensitivity to cold and pressure than control subjects without arthritis—even when parts of the body not affected by arthritis were tested. This suggests to the study authors that chronic pain may alter the way nerves respond to stimuli and increase their sensitivity. (2) If the cold makes your pain worse, try incorporating heat therapy into your daily routine. Heat therapy decreases stiffness and promotes healing through increased circulation.

Here are a few ideas for adding heat to your routine:
• Apply a hot pack, warm towel, or heating pad to the painful area. Simply doing this for 20 minutes at a time may be enough for temporary pain relief.
• Use over-the-counter heat wraps. Available in most grocery stores and pharmacies, heat wraps can provide warmth for joint-related back pain and other symptoms for up to 8 hours at a time.
• Try water therapy. You may experience pain relief by swimming in a heated indoor pool a few times per week, or by soaking a whirlpool or hot bath.
• Stay active. It can be tempting to hibernate during the colder months, but inactivity can increase some types of pain. If you prefer to stay inside, consider getting a treadmill—you can walk while you watch TV or a movie. Weather changes are unavoidable, but you can take steps to manage the worst effects of it.

References:

1. Self-perceived weather sensitivity and joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis in six European countries: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA). BMC Musculoskeletisord. 2014 Mar 5;15:66.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-15-66.
2. Subjects with Knee Osteoarthritis Exhibit Widespread Hyperalgesia to Pressure and Cold. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 25;11(1):e0147526. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147526.
eCollection 2016.
Learn more:
www.spine-health.com/blog/how-cooler-weather-affects-chronic-pain
Learn more or schedule an appointment 401-821-6091
http://www.spine-health.com/doctor/chiropractor/richard-jardon-west-warwick-ri
Talk to Dr. Jardon about specific questions related to your unique health situation.
https://www.facebook.com/chiropractorwestwarwickri
Visit our Facebook page

Brought to you by Dr. Rick Jardon

Cowesett Chiropractic: Dr. Rick Jardon
328 Cowesett Avenue
Suite 8
West Warwick, RI 2893
401-821-6091

Treatments

Chiropractic Manipulations

How Cooler Weather Affects Chronic Pain

How Cooler Weather Affects Chronic Pain

Newsletter from Spine-health November 2016 [link]

Does cold weather worsen your pain? You’re not alone. Although various studies have shown no or very slight associations between pain and weather factors like temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and wind speed, patient experiences tell a different story. Many people report that damp or cold weather worsens their pain. One study of 800 Europeans with osteoarthritis found that 67% reported that they feel the weather affects their pain levels. (1)

In another small but fascinating study, those who had osteoarthritis reported a greater sensitivity to cold and pressure than control subjects without arthritis—even when parts of the body not affected by arthritis were tested. This suggests to the study authors that chronic pain may alter the way nerves respond to stimuli and increase their sensitivity. (2) If the cold makes your pain worse, try incorporating heat therapy into your daily routine. Heat therapy decreases stiffness and promotes healing through increased circulation.

Here are a few ideas for adding heat to your routine:
• Apply a hot pack, warm towel, or heating pad to the painful area. Simply doing this for 20 minutes at a time may be enough for temporary pain relief.
• Use over-the-counter heat wraps. Available in most grocery stores and pharmacies, heat wraps can provide warmth for joint-related back pain and other symptoms for up to 8 hours at a time.
• Try water therapy. You may experience pain relief by swimming in a heated indoor pool a few times per week, or by soaking a whirlpool or hot bath.
• Stay active. It can be tempting to hibernate during the colder months, but inactivity can increase some types of pain. If you prefer to stay inside, consider getting a treadmill—you can walk while you watch TV or a movie. Weather changes are unavoidable, but you can take steps to manage the worst effects of it.

References:

1. Self-perceived weather sensitivity and joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis in six European countries: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA). BMC Musculoskeletisord. 2014 Mar 5;15:66.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-15-66.
2. Subjects with Knee Osteoarthritis Exhibit Widespread Hyperalgesia to Pressure and Cold. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 25;11(1):e0147526. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147526.
eCollection 2016.
Learn more:
www.spine-health.com/blog/how-cooler-weather-affects-chronic-pain
Learn more or schedule an appointment 401-821-6091
http://www.spine-health.com/doctor/chiropractor/richard-jardon-west-warwick-ri
Talk to Dr. Jardon about specific questions related to your unique health situation.
https://www.facebook.com/chiropractorwestwarwickri
Visit our Facebook page

Brought to you by Dr. Rick Jardon

Cowesett Chiropractic: Dr. Rick Jardon
328 Cowesett Avenue
Suite 8
West Warwick, RI 2893
401-821-6091

Treatments

Chiropractic Manipulations

Cold Weather Can Increase Pain

As we say goodbye to summer and look ahead to autumn, here are some tips for our readers who feel their chronic pain gets worse with colder weather.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/how-cooler-weather-affects-chronic-pain?source=3tab

Free Cervical Pillow! Melting snow

I'm so excited about the warm weather that I decided to have a contest to see if anyone can guess on what day the huge pile of snow in my parking lot will completely melt. The winner will receive a FREE CERVICAL PILLOW.

So, just respond to this by hitting "like" on Facebook and place your bet in the comment section.

FYI: My guess is May 1.

Stay Safe While Shoveling - By Dr. Jardon

More snow so watch your shoveling mechanics.

Limit bending and twisting combinations by bending your knees as you bend forward and come back up. Do not twist to throw the snow until you are standing upright. Limit twisting by moving your feet towards the direction you're throwing it. Bending/twisting combinations can "unhinge" the facet joints, allowing more strain on the protective muscles and ligaments.

Also, make sure you're warmed up in the morning by stretching beforehand. Dress warmly.Take it easy for the first 5 mins and, as you warm up with the activity of shoveling, you can safely speed up. Also helpful, don't try to do it all at once. Do it in shifts.

But, here's the best advise, get a snow blower!

Keep Your Back Healthy this Winter

Spine-Health newsletter - January 9, 2015

Cold weather and slippery conditions bring their own set of challenges to the body and your back. With winter in full swing, it’s time to think about how to keep your back healthy while dealing with a common cold-weather activity: shoveling snow. Learn how to approach this household chore safely to prevent straining and back injury.



Featured Article:
Snow Shoveling Techniques to Prevent Low Back Injuries




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Could a Compression Spinal Fracture be Causing your Back Pain?
If you're a female over the age of 50, an osteoporosis patient, a cancer patient, used steroids or other drugs for a prolonged time, or have low bone mineral density, your risk for a spine fracture is increased. Also, individuals that already have a compression spine fracture(s) are 3-5 times more likely to experience another fracture within the next twelve months.

Visit our new education center to learn more about vertebral body compression fractures of the spine.

Back ache in cool, damp weather

Does your back tend to get achy in the cooler, damper weather? That's not an old wives' tale. Most people with back problems, especially if they have spinal arthritis, generally do.

There is a reason for that. When the weather changes from a nice dry day to a wet day (especially if it's cooler too), the barometric pressure drops. Your joint capsule (the sac of fluid that bathes your joint) expands. It's like when a helium balloon climbs in the sky, it expands in response to less atmospheric pressure around it and eventually blows up.

So your joint capsule expands the same way. The sac itself has a lot of pain fibers in it. When it stretches, it fires off the pain fibers and you feel the pain as aching.