Take care of your joints and back during rainy season
There is a saying that people who have arthritis and related joint problems can sense rainy weather approaching when their joint pains aggravate. Yes, it has been proven that during the rainy season, joint aches and other related problems increase more than usual
Published: 04:08 PM,Aug 07,2022 | EDITED : 08:08 PM,Aug 07,2022
Khareef in Salalah is in full swing now, when greenery returns to the fields and mountains, leaves begin to sprout, frogs croak , and crickets shatter the night’s silence. As a specialist orthopaedic surgeon, the number of out-patients I used to see in other seasons has been increased to two to three fold in khareef weather, specially lower back pain and joint pains.
However, khareef is not good news for those who have bone disorders, especially in the joints.
People aged 60 and above are prone to this, but young adults can also be affected. There is a saying that people who have arthritis and related joint problems can sense rainy weather approaching when their joint pains aggravate. Yes, it has been proven that during the rainy season, joint aches and other related problems increase more than usual.
How weather may affect Joints?
Barometric pressure or the pressure of the air can affect joints, but humidity, precipitation, and temperature also play important role. People with joint pain, especially arthritis, may be sensitive to changes in barometric pressure. How? It could be that when the cartilage that cushions the bones inside a joint is worn away, nerves in the exposed bones might pick up on changes in pressure.
Changes in barometric pressure may make your tendons, muscles, and any scar tissue expand and contract, and that can create pain in joints affected by arthritis. Low temperatures can also make the fluid inside joints thicker, so they feel stiffer.
What kind of weather?
In one survey of 200 people with knee osteoarthritis, researchers found that every 10-degree drop in temperature – as well as low barometric pressure –corresponded to a rise in arthritis pain. More recently, however, a Dutch study of 222 people with hip osteoarthritis found that over 2 years, people said their pain and stiffness got worse with rising barometric pressure and humidity.
How to ease weather-related joint pain?
You don’t have to pick up and move to a different climate.
There’s plenty you can do at home to relieve joint pain.
When temperatures drop, try to keep yourself warm. Take warm showers or baths, dress in layers during the day (including gloves and warm socks), use an electric blanket at night, or crank up the heat inside your home.
Try a paraffin bath. It’s a small machine that melts paraffin wax. You dip your hands and feet in, and then you let the wax harden on your skin. Your body absorbs the heat, which may soothe achy joints. You can also use a heating pad on sore spots.
Ask your doctor about pain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDSs).
Keep a healthy body weight and stay active. Try gentle exercises on the joints, like yoga or swimming. That will help you build up muscle and bone strength. If you go outside to exercise, limber up first with some gentle stretches.
Make sure you take care of your health in general, like with good nutrition and getting enough sleep.
Tips to prevent slips and injuries during khareef.
Khareef is pleasing but not when there are accidental falls, slips, or trips. These things are more frequent during the rainy season, in darkness, or while walking on wet and uneven surfaces. One may suffer from serious fractures, sprains, or bruises owing to the notorious falls. Hence, it is the need of the hour to prevent falls and improve the quality of life.
Types of injuries caused owing to falls Breaking of the bones can occur mostly in the elderly due to falls. Thus, wrist, hand, and hip fractures are common occurrences. Sprained ankles and wrists, knee damage, shoulder dislocation, muscle strain, cuts and bruises, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and abrasions.
How to keep falls at bay during khareef?
Use handrails when walking on stairs.
- Use well-lit pathways or carry a flashlight for use in dark places.
- Wear comfortable, slip-resistant shoes.
- Use a cart and take the elevator when carrying large items.
- Stay focused and alert.
- Put your cell phone away when you’re on the move.
- Use walkways and pedestrian paths.
- Wipe your feet on a mat when entering a building during wet weather.
- Store your wet clothes and umbrella away from walkways If you are deficient in Vitamin D that causes low bone-mineral density, then take vitamin D supplements as prescribed by the doctor.
The author is a Salalah-based ortho surgeon.
However, khareef is not good news for those who have bone disorders, especially in the joints.
People aged 60 and above are prone to this, but young adults can also be affected. There is a saying that people who have arthritis and related joint problems can sense rainy weather approaching when their joint pains aggravate. Yes, it has been proven that during the rainy season, joint aches and other related problems increase more than usual.
How weather may affect Joints?
Barometric pressure or the pressure of the air can affect joints, but humidity, precipitation, and temperature also play important role. People with joint pain, especially arthritis, may be sensitive to changes in barometric pressure. How? It could be that when the cartilage that cushions the bones inside a joint is worn away, nerves in the exposed bones might pick up on changes in pressure.
Changes in barometric pressure may make your tendons, muscles, and any scar tissue expand and contract, and that can create pain in joints affected by arthritis. Low temperatures can also make the fluid inside joints thicker, so they feel stiffer.
What kind of weather?
In one survey of 200 people with knee osteoarthritis, researchers found that every 10-degree drop in temperature – as well as low barometric pressure –corresponded to a rise in arthritis pain. More recently, however, a Dutch study of 222 people with hip osteoarthritis found that over 2 years, people said their pain and stiffness got worse with rising barometric pressure and humidity.
How to ease weather-related joint pain?
You don’t have to pick up and move to a different climate.
There’s plenty you can do at home to relieve joint pain.
When temperatures drop, try to keep yourself warm. Take warm showers or baths, dress in layers during the day (including gloves and warm socks), use an electric blanket at night, or crank up the heat inside your home.
Try a paraffin bath. It’s a small machine that melts paraffin wax. You dip your hands and feet in, and then you let the wax harden on your skin. Your body absorbs the heat, which may soothe achy joints. You can also use a heating pad on sore spots.
Ask your doctor about pain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDSs).
Keep a healthy body weight and stay active. Try gentle exercises on the joints, like yoga or swimming. That will help you build up muscle and bone strength. If you go outside to exercise, limber up first with some gentle stretches.
Make sure you take care of your health in general, like with good nutrition and getting enough sleep.
Tips to prevent slips and injuries during khareef.
Khareef is pleasing but not when there are accidental falls, slips, or trips. These things are more frequent during the rainy season, in darkness, or while walking on wet and uneven surfaces. One may suffer from serious fractures, sprains, or bruises owing to the notorious falls. Hence, it is the need of the hour to prevent falls and improve the quality of life.
Types of injuries caused owing to falls Breaking of the bones can occur mostly in the elderly due to falls. Thus, wrist, hand, and hip fractures are common occurrences. Sprained ankles and wrists, knee damage, shoulder dislocation, muscle strain, cuts and bruises, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and abrasions.
How to keep falls at bay during khareef?
Use handrails when walking on stairs.
- Use well-lit pathways or carry a flashlight for use in dark places.
- Wear comfortable, slip-resistant shoes.
- Use a cart and take the elevator when carrying large items.
- Stay focused and alert.
- Put your cell phone away when you’re on the move.
- Use walkways and pedestrian paths.
- Wipe your feet on a mat when entering a building during wet weather.
- Store your wet clothes and umbrella away from walkways If you are deficient in Vitamin D that causes low bone-mineral density, then take vitamin D supplements as prescribed by the doctor.
The author is a Salalah-based ortho surgeon.