TOLEDO, Ohio — During this transitional time of year, we see drastic changes in weather with a lot of rain and cold snaps in between. Along with the weather comes aches and pains at the beginnings and ends of days.
Most of the complaints that come into the doctor's office with aches and pains are related to the cold and rain due to the body‘s natural response to the weather.
Lower barometric pressure brings in chilly air and causes joints to swell, which can give you pain especially if you already have underlying issues with stiffness and tight tendons from arthritis.
However, there is no timeline for this pain as it can happen any time of the year due to the constant changes in weather we see.
Typically, the aches and pains are seen on and off throughout the year with the worst times tending to be in the winter months.
Don’t worry though, there are ways to alleviate that pain. Ryan Szepiela, a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation with ProMedica, recommends keeping the area of pain warm to start. But, don't go outside in shorts, especially if those types of pains in your knees are also in your ankles.
Szepiela also said a good stretching program and a good exercise program are beneficial. Keeping your joints moving, the fluid inside of them loose and the surrounding muscles strong help to alleviate joint pain, even if you have osteoarthritis or a prior injury in that area.
An anti-inflammatory diet, which favors omega-3 fatty acid foods, fish, vegetables and nuts can also help reduce the pain in joints and muscles, Szepiela said.