5 ways to prevent bone and joint diseases in cold weather

Doctor Vo Khac Khoi Nguyen, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, said that when the weather turns cold, many people suffer from bone and joint pain, especially the elderly.When the temperature drops, the body tends to try to store energy, causing blood circulation to be worse than normal. Cold air penetrates the body through the skin, causing blood vessels in these areas to contract, reducing the circulation of synovial fluid. Blood flow to the joints is limited or very low, causing a lack of blood to nourish the joints, stimulating the synovial membranes and cartilage, causing pain.

To prevent bone and joint diseases in cold weather, you should follow these 5 steps:

Avoid excessive anxiety

Changes in atmospheric pressure of the surrounding air affect the pressure inside the joints. That is why cold weather causes joint pain.The tissues in the body, the outer layer of the body (skin, tendons, muscles) often tend to contract, the most obvious manifestation is the phenomenon of goose bumps when exposed to cold due to the contraction of the piloerector muscles. This condition can cause acute neck and shoulder pain, the joints of the knees, feet and hands often ache. Patients with rheumatism may not be able to stand up or clench their hands due to morning stiffness, so many people become confused and worried.

Keep warm properly

Wear warm clothes, including scarves, gloves and socks. It is important to keep warm before going to bed at night, as temperatures tend to drop at night and early in the morning. The joints in the fingers and toes are particularly small and far from the body, so they tend to get cold first, compared to larger joints.

Limit wet hands and feet, quickly dry your body when it rains or comes into contact with water. When the joints show signs of pain and stiffness, you need to warm up the area around the pain with a dryer or hot compress, hot soak. Hot water soaking not only helps to exchange heat locally on the skin, but also helps to increase circulation inside, helping to warm the body effectively.

Keeping warm properly can be considered the most basic and simple measure that everyone can take according to the motto "prevention is better than cure".

Reasonable exercise

The colder the weather, the less people tend to move. The more painful the joints are, the more afraid they are to move, leading to stiff joints and the disease getting worse. Therefore, when it's cold or you have joint pain, you still need to move appropriately.

People with aching bones and joints often have symptoms of stiffness in the morning, especially in small joints such as the hands and feet. Before getting out of bed in the morning, patients need to practice stretching their fingers, toes, and large joints to reduce the feeling of stiffness. Stretching also helps blood circulate well to the joints, after a night of sleep, the joints are considered temporarily "immobile".

Morning exercises should still be maintained daily. Exercise should be done at least 30 minutes a day and most days of the week. Maintaining exercise, even in cold weather, helps maintain the strength of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These are the parts that hold the joints, contributing to reducing the weight on the joint surface, causing joint pain. In addition, on-the-spot exercises between working hours are also recommended to be applied daily.

Joints that are swollen, hot, red, and painful are signs of acute inflammation. At that time, you should limit movement and avoid rubbing oil or rubbing alcohol as this can worsen the inflammation.

Proper nutrition

Patients should eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, vitamins A, E, C found in soybeans, green vegetables, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, avocados...

Limit alcohol and lavish parties because they can cause an acute gout attack (especially in gout patients) and worsen bone and joint pain.

Drink enough water every day. Dehydration can cause blood to thicken, reducing blood flow to nourish joints, especially joints far away (hands, feet). It is recommended to eat warm food and drinks because they will add heat to warm the body.

Take medication as prescribed

Conventional painkillers do not control pain within 1-3 days, symptoms tend to get worse. You should see a specialist for effective treatment.

Cao Kham