There’s a lot to love about winter in Southwest Virginia: fewer allergies, relatively little snow, and the holiday season. But winter also brings challenges, especially to sufferers of chronic pain. Pain can make you want to sit out the festivities, but we want to help you live healthier and happier with pain relief in Southwest Virginia.
That’s Cold – Winter Pains
There are so many types of pain that worsen from the cold it would be difficult to list them all, but we’ll share a few of the most common cold weather pain conditions.
Firstly, let’s discuss the mental state cold weather brings. Many suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition like depression that affects many during the winter months. The lack of light brings people down and causes measurable increases in pain while also worsening other conditions.
Other types of pain increases include muscle pain, neuropathy, arthritis, and joint pain. All can be issues on their own but are exacerbated by the winter.
Why Does Our Pain Get Worse in the Cold?
As we all remember from our biology classes, nearly everything other than water expands in heat and contracts in the cold. That contraction is one of the reasons why winter brings more aches and pains.
Blood vessels constrict, restricting blood flow. That lack of blood flow can increase pain and prevent nutrients from getting to various body tissues.
Your muscles are another victim of constriction. As your muscles contract and tighten, two things happen – it intensifies the pain of musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis, and it discourages you from moving. That lack of movement can further intensify your pain, exacerbating the lack of blood flow.
Sometimes, we spend more time alone in the winter, and most of us spend less time outside. That affects our mood, which can, in turn, affect us physically. Your emotional state can cause or worsen physical pain.
Finally, nerves can have cold sensitivity, meaning cold creates pain.
Healthier Choices
So, how can you lessen your cold-weather pain? The first step for pain relief in Southwest Virginia is making healthier choices. We tend to move less when it gets cold, but as we discussed, that makes the pain worse! So starting an exercise routine, perhaps a moderate one will help with your pain.
Also, take the time to notice what foods make your body feel better and worse, and do your best to keep yourself warm! Wear the proper clothing for the season and get your house weatherproofed.
Finally, do things that make you happy! Spend time with those you love and get plenty of sunlight. And if you’re younger, check in on your older relatives and make social calls.
Providing Pain Relief in Southwest Virginia
Unfortunately, not all pain can be relieved through lifestyle changes. Even when we do everything right, we can still suffer from chronic pain.
ADL specializes in providing pain relief in Southwest Virginia. We offer anodyne therapy machines and supplies to stimulate your nerves. We also provide compression stockings and lymphedema pumps to improve your circulation.
Contact us for all pain relief needs!