Is it fall yet? It sure feels like it in my house. Every morning I wake up stiff and achy, and the pain only seems to get worse as the days get shorter. Yep, it must be arthritis season again! As the cooler months approach, many of us are looking forward to cozy fires, hot drinks, and time spent indoors. But for those of us with arthritis, the change in temperature can bring on painful flares.
When the weather gets cold, our bodies go into defense mode. We start to shiver and our blood flow decreases in an effort to conserve heat. This can make our joints stiff and painful.
For people with arthritis, the change in temperature can also trigger inflammation. Cold weather causes the release of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. These chemicals can cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Laser therapy is a great way to reduce pain caused by arthritis. While laser won’t cure arthritis, it will reduce your pain by approximately 75% with just six treatments. The FDA-Cleared Class IV MLS Laser uses concentrated light energy to stimulate the body’s own healing process to minimize pain, inflammation and promote healing. This is a cold laser designed to treat conditions without excessive thermal effect (a.k.a heat), so treatment is NOT painful. The MLS laser uses specific wavelengths and a patented delivery system to speed up the process of relieving inflammation, pain and repairing damaged tissue.
Here are a few other things you can do to help ease your arthritis symptoms during the cooler months:
-Wear warm, loose-fitting clothing to protect your joints from the cold.
-Exercise regularly. Exercise can help increase blood flow and flexibility, which can reduce pain and stiffness.
-Apply heat or ice to your joints. Applying heat can help loosen stiff joints, while applying cold can help reduce inflammation.
-Take over-the-counter pain relievers. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help ease pain and inflammation.
If you do not want to take an oral anti-inflammatory, you can use a topical pain reliever called Soothe. Soothe is a pain-relieving stick that contains 1000mg of CBD, arnica, eucalyptus and lavender oils. This ultra-potent combination will reduce pain and inflammation for a minimum of 4 hours. If you want effective pain relief without the CBD, Mod Pod Recover is a great option! Recover uses menthol and peppermint to create a soothing and pain reducing sensation. Both Soothe and Recover have easy grip applicators that are ideal for people who have trouble reaching their feet.
If you’re one of the many people who suffer from arthritis, you know that the cooler months can be a real pain. Literally. But there are things you can do to make your life a little easier during this time of year without migrating south for the winter. If you need more help than these tips can provide, don’t hesitate to call us at 859-264-1141 or schedule an appointment online– we’d be happy to chat with you about how we can make your life a little less painful.