Treating Your Warm Weather Joint Pain
Summer’s hot temperatures can have an impact on certain joints and conditions — especially here in Florida and Tennessee. Here’s what you need to know about arthritis and other related joint pain during the hot summer months and what you can do to help alleviate it.
Does Warm Weather Increase Joint Pain?
While it’s known that colder weather can increase aching, many patients don’t know that warm weather typically increases swelling and pain. This means that the increased pressure and humidity outdoors can increase the expansion of joints, tendons, muscles, and even scar tissue, leaving many people with previous injuries in pain.
Chronic conditions can have flare-ups no matter the temperature outside, but the summer weather does cause our bodies to need a period of adjustment, and this can increase the painful symptoms of arthritis and other conditions.
Minimizing Your Joint Pain
If you are experiencing joint pain, it’s important to visit your doctor for treatment. You can work to decrease your pain at home by using or combining any of these methods:
1. Staying Cool
Remain inside when you can, especially on extremely hot days. Take breaks to stay cooler if you must venture outside, and make sure your air conditioner is turned up to a comfortable temperature.
2. Stay Hydrated
Water is not only good for your health, but it helps to flush toxins out of the body which also helps to fight inflammation. It aids your joints by keeping them well lubricated.
3. Get Active
Low-impact physical activities such as swimming, yoga, and walking are all great ways to relieve pressure on your joints and keep them lubricated. They also help to promote stronger supportive muscles that can decrease pressure and strain on your joints.
4. Avoid Overexerting Yourself
Over-extension or utilization of your joints in warm weather will leave you feeling swollen later. Be mindful of how much your joints can handle.
Treating Your Chronic Pain at iRISE Spine and Joint
At iRISE Spine and Joint, our professionals are ready to provide you with comprehensive care to treat injuries affecting your spine, joints, and any surrounding ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
We commonly help those suffering from an auto accident, slip and fall, workplace accident, or traumatic brain injury, but remain available to patients suffering from chronic pain as well.
Contact our team for the dedicated care you need to recover.