5 Ways to Manage Arthritis Pain Through the Winter

As the winter chill starts sweeping through Charlotte, you might find your joints feel achy and swollen. So, if you have arthritis, you might wonder what you can do to manage the pain during the coming cold months. 

At Spine & Pain Specialists of the Carolinas, Aashish Jay Kumar, MD, D.ABA, specializes in helping people in pain. Joint pain like arthritis can make you miserable any time of year, but the cold worsens it. 

5 top ways to manage arthritis pain during cold temperatures 

While there are more than 100 types of arthritis, the most common is osteoarthritis. This is also known as “wear-and-tear” arthritis, and it’s a common part of aging. The protective material between your joints slowly deteriorates, leaving you with the painful rubbing of bone on bone.

Fortunately, there are ways you can alleviate this painful condition.

1. Keep warm 

Dress in warm layers and add electric blankets or heating pads while still. You can wrap up in a warm blanket while working from home or watching TV. The warmth will keep your joints warm and loose. 

2. Stay active 

Low-impact activities like walking or yoga keep your body moving, releasing synovial fluid through your joints to maintain flexibility. Exercise also increases blood flow so you stay warmer. It also reduces inflammation and contributes to weight management, which helps relieve painful arthritis symptoms. 

3. Maintain a healthy weight 

Extra pounds add stress on your joints, which worsens arthritis pain. By shedding excess weight, you can ease joint pain while improving your overall health. 

4. Injections 

We offer several injections to reduce inflammation, lubricate your joints, and more. Depending on your situation, we recommend steroid injections, trigger point injections, or another type of injection to help you find arthritis relief. 

5. Electrical nerve stimulation
This non-invasive treatment interrupts your body’s pain signals. There’s a constant communication flow throughout your body with your brain’s cell receptors. When you can interrupt the flow, your body stops sending “I’m in pain” messages, so you feel relief.

We offer several types of electrical nerve stimulation depending on your situation. 

Arthritis affects millions of people. However, by adopting a healthy lifestyle and creating pain management with our team, you can alleviate your arthritis symptoms this winter. 

At Spine & Pain Specialists of the Carolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Kumar can help you find pain relief for recurring joint pain like arthritis. You can book your appointment with our online scheduling tool.