Although some evidence exists that people living in warmer, drier climates experience fewer episodes of arthritis pain, climate does not affect the course of the disease.
Your response may also depend on the type of arthritis you have. According to Professor Karen Walker-Bone, professor of occupational rheumatology at the University of Southampton, people with osteoarthritis generally prefer warm and dry weather, while those with rheumatoid arthritis tend to prefer the cooler weather.
Heat therapy is an easy, inexpensive, and medication-free way to relieve some types of arthritis stiffness and pain. Heat therapy can: Encourage the healing of damaged tissue. Warmth causes the blood vessels of the muscles to dilate, which increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.
This study showed that cold, damp conditions lead to elevated pain levels in people with arthritis, while dry, hot conditions tend to cause less discomfort.
Winter can be rough for people with arthritis—both inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis. For most, symptoms seem to worsen in the winter months. For a lucky few, winter is a reprieve from joint pain and swelling.
The relationship between air conditioning and arthritis is a chilly one—arthritis commonly becomes aggravated when the AC is cranked up. If that's not true for you, you're one of the lucky ones! Complicating the matter, air conditioning can slightly reduce the humidity in a room, which may help reduce joint pain.
Try heat and/or ice therapy
Heat can help relieve muscle and joint stiffness, warm up joints before activity, and/or ease a muscle spasm. Cold can help reduce joint inflammation, swelling, and pain.
When you warm up a sore joint or tired muscle, your blood vessels get bigger. This allows more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to be delivered to the injured tissues. Better circulation means more relaxation for those stiff muscles and joints.
Osteoarthritis represented over half (62%) of all arthritic conditions in 2017–18 (ABS 2019). 1 in 5 Australians (22%) over the age of 45 have osteoarthritis. Although osteoarthritis affects people of all ages, the prevalence increases sharply from the age of 45 years.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be one of the most painful types of arthritis; it affects joints as well as other surrounding tissues, including organs. This inflammatory, autoimmune disease attacks healthy cells by mistake, causing painful swelling in the joints, like hands, wrists and knees.
Many people who have arthritis or a related disease may be living with chronic pain. Pain is chronic when it lasts three to six months or longer, but arthritis pain can last a lifetime. It may be constant, or it may come and go.
Yep, the same overactive immune system that attacks your joints — and the medications used to treat these diseases — may make you more sensitive to sunlight. This means that many people with inflammatory arthritis need to take extra precautions when it comes to the sun, especially during summer.
Use of heat, such as applying heating pads to aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax, can help relieve pain temporarily. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
1. Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as salmon or tuna, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements. These supplements may help fight several types of inflammation, including vascular inflammation.
Research shows diclofenac is the strongest and most effective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine available.10 Diclofenec is sold under the prescription brand names Cambia, Cataflam, Zipsor, and Zorvolex. It is also available as a topical gel, Voltaren, which is available over the counter.
Vitamin D is critical for overall health. For one, it helps with calcium absorption, which in turn helps the body develop and maintain healthy bones. It also reduces inflammation and plays a role in regulating the immune system, so the body is better able to ward off sickness and disease, including arthritis.
Vitamin D is believed to have an immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory action, and its deficiency has been linked with several autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
“Your joints have pressure receptors. When there is a low-pressure system that brings rain or higher humidity, you are more likely to see your arthritis symptoms worsen,” explains Dr. North.
For arthritis symptoms, high temperatures and humidity can reduce the level or thickness of fluid around your joints, which can cause pain.
But Using Air Conditioning For Temperature Regulation Can Help As Well As Hinder. When it comes specifically to arthritis, the temperature is key, specifically the cold when the pain feels like a boring sensation.