Plummeting temperatures, frozen lakes, and chilly mornings can only mean one thing: winter has arrived. For some, this conjures up memories of pearly-white fields, crackling fireplaces and Christmas feasts; for other, stinging cold and painful joints.
The winter season can be especially difficult if you have joint problems, the cold making them even more stiff and painful than usual. Many people tend to lose mobility and flexibility in their joints when they reach the age of fifty, making what were once simple daily occurrences " such as walking or lifting things " quite painful. A few leading osteopaths offer their insights and advice on how to gear up your joints for winter:
TIPS FOR MEN
- Avoid lifting heavy objects as much as possible
- Avoid carrying heavy loads on your back or shoulders " this affects your knees as much as your back and pelvis.
TIPS FOR WOMEN
- Avoid wearing excessively high heels (under 4 cm) to prevent damage to the knees, back, and ankles
- Refrain from carrying heavy handbags, as they can be damaging to the joints in the long term.
TIPS FOR BOTH GENDERS
- Be sure to cover up when going outside. Wearing high socks or stockings over the knees, and thick gloves and jumpers keeps your joints warm and mobile.
- Loosen up your joints underwater " take a nice warm bath or shower after spending a while outside.
- Do sets of exercises on a regular basis that test range-motion of your joints. It is important to keep the blood flowing, but know your limits " stop if it becomes too painful.
- Regulate your weight by eating right " this contributes to healthier joints, and a lighter body takes pressure of the joints.
- Sleeping on a firm mattress is strongly advised for everyone " not just people with back or shoulder problems. While there is no universal ideal mattress, choosing the right mattress for you is not only important to getting enough sleep every night, but essential to preventing morning joint-stiffness.
- If you are suffering from arthritis (or early symptoms of the disease), you are advised to use assistive devices (such as knee, wrist, elbow, or other joint braces) on the most painful areas.
HOW OSTEOPATHS CAN HELP
Consulting an osteopath can be useful in many respects, especially because they can help diagnose what problems you have (joint pains can often be early symptoms of either Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis, so it is important to be cognisant of these problems before they get worse), and devise a treatment plan that suits your needs. Through a combination of exercises, massages, and therapeutic techniques, osteopaths can help minimize your symptoms and use their expertise about the muscular-skeletal system to your advantage.
A lot of the tips above ring true for other times of year as well, but during the winter we must take extra precautions to protect our joints. As long as you keep your joints covered up and follow an exercise routine, winters cold should not be able to penetrate your skin, or indeed, your joints. - 14130
The winter season can be especially difficult if you have joint problems, the cold making them even more stiff and painful than usual. Many people tend to lose mobility and flexibility in their joints when they reach the age of fifty, making what were once simple daily occurrences " such as walking or lifting things " quite painful. A few leading osteopaths offer their insights and advice on how to gear up your joints for winter:
TIPS FOR MEN
- Avoid lifting heavy objects as much as possible
- Avoid carrying heavy loads on your back or shoulders " this affects your knees as much as your back and pelvis.
TIPS FOR WOMEN
- Avoid wearing excessively high heels (under 4 cm) to prevent damage to the knees, back, and ankles
- Refrain from carrying heavy handbags, as they can be damaging to the joints in the long term.
TIPS FOR BOTH GENDERS
- Be sure to cover up when going outside. Wearing high socks or stockings over the knees, and thick gloves and jumpers keeps your joints warm and mobile.
- Loosen up your joints underwater " take a nice warm bath or shower after spending a while outside.
- Do sets of exercises on a regular basis that test range-motion of your joints. It is important to keep the blood flowing, but know your limits " stop if it becomes too painful.
- Regulate your weight by eating right " this contributes to healthier joints, and a lighter body takes pressure of the joints.
- Sleeping on a firm mattress is strongly advised for everyone " not just people with back or shoulder problems. While there is no universal ideal mattress, choosing the right mattress for you is not only important to getting enough sleep every night, but essential to preventing morning joint-stiffness.
- If you are suffering from arthritis (or early symptoms of the disease), you are advised to use assistive devices (such as knee, wrist, elbow, or other joint braces) on the most painful areas.
HOW OSTEOPATHS CAN HELP
Consulting an osteopath can be useful in many respects, especially because they can help diagnose what problems you have (joint pains can often be early symptoms of either Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis, so it is important to be cognisant of these problems before they get worse), and devise a treatment plan that suits your needs. Through a combination of exercises, massages, and therapeutic techniques, osteopaths can help minimize your symptoms and use their expertise about the muscular-skeletal system to your advantage.
A lot of the tips above ring true for other times of year as well, but during the winter we must take extra precautions to protect our joints. As long as you keep your joints covered up and follow an exercise routine, winters cold should not be able to penetrate your skin, or indeed, your joints. - 14130
About the Author:
Andrew Mitchell, clinical director of the Osteopath Network, writes papers about musculo-skeletal conditions and Wimbledon osteopaths. The Osteopath Network has more than 550 clinics located throughout the UK and offers treatment at weekends and after hours.
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