Knee Pain and Cold Weather: Are they Linked?
You’re not alone if you find that your knee pain worsens in cold weather. In fact millions of people claim that their joint pain is worse on chilly days. Despite this, there is very little scientific evidence linking cold weather with increased joint pain. Interestingly though, a large study undertaken in the UK in 2019 proved that there is a link between increased joint pain, high humidity and wind. Without any clear evidence linking increased knee pain and cold weather, there are a number of possible theories for what some of the causes may be.
Why Does Cold Weather Affect Knee Pain?
Some of the possible reasons why knee pain may be affected by colder weather include:
Air pressure (barometric pressure)
When the weather gets colder, the air pressure either increases or decreases. Some theories suggest that the change in air pressure potentially increases pressure, pushing the nerves inside the joints, causing pain or stiffness.
Decreased activity
Another possible cause is that we become less active in colder weather. This means that our joints are likely to become stiffer which may cause more pain.
Mood
Pain is influenced by our emotions. Cold weather is known to lower people’s moods, which could affect their ability to tolerate pain.
Sensitivity of pain receptors
There is a theory that our pain receptors (nerves that respond to pain) become more sensitive in colder weather, causing pain to feel worse.
Increased stress on the nervous system
Cold can place more stress on our bodies, as we try to maintain our ideal body temperature. This affects our nervous system, which may cause our bodies to react to the stress, increasing our pain levels.
5 Tips to Reduce Knee Pain in Winter
- Stay warm – Keeping yourself warm both indoors and outside during winter may help to prevent joint stiffness. Keeping your home warm by maintaining a temperature of at least 18°C indoors is recommended, particularly if you have reduced mobility or are aged 65+.Wearing thermals and layers of clothing, using hot water bottles when indoors and taking a warm shower or hot bath can all help to ease joint stiffness and pain.
- Exercise – Staying active helps both your joints and your mind. Not only does exercise keep you warm in the colder months by increasing your circulation, but it also improves your mobility. Gentle stretching exercises can also help ease joint pain, while strengthening exercises help to build muscles that support your joints. Yoga is a low impact activity that can be beneficial for people with arthritis pain, whilst Pilates can also strengthen and improve mobility of the knees. Doing regular Pilates can also help to improve posture, muscle tone and help to relieve stress. The NHS recommends getting 30 minutes of exercise five days per week, but it’s a good idea to speak to a GP before trying an exercise class if you are recovering from an injury or have a health condition.
- Weight Management – Studies show that being overweight can increase your risk of having knee pain. Maintaining a healthy weight will help to reduce your chances of having pain.
- Vitamin D – This is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles, as well as your immune system. Although most of our vitamin D comes from sunlight, it can be hard to get enough from diet alone during the winter months, when the sun is weaker. Consider taking a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter months to supplement the potential lack in our diets as well as loss of sun exposure.
- Pain relief – Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help to ease knee pain. Ibuprofen works by reducing chemicals that cause pain and swelling in the body. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps with pain such as arthritis and injuries that result in sprains or strains. Ibuprofen is available in oral format, as well as gels or plasters that can be applied to the knee, to help ease aches and inflammation.
Easing your knee pain may require a number of approaches or combinations of different things. Speak to your healthcare professional for advice, if you need guidance on other ways to manage your knee pain during cold weather.
When to get medical advice
If your knee pain does not improve within a few weeks or
your knee locks, painfully clicks or gives way (painless clicking is normal), then you should see your GP for advice.
It’s important to get immediate medical advice, if your knee is very painful, you cannot move your knee or put any weight on it, your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape, or if you have a very high temperature, feel hot and shivery, and have redness or heat around your knee (this can be a sign of infection).
FAQs
Can cold weather trigger knee pain?
There is very little scientific evidence linking cold weather with increased joint pain, but there are a number of possible theories for what some of the causes may be. Read more here about the theories of what causes knee pain in cold weather.
What pain relief can I use for knee pain in winter?
Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help to ease knee pain. Ibuprofen works by reducing chemical that cause pain and swelling in the body. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps with pain such as arthritis and injuries that result in sprains or strains. Ibuprofen is available in oral formats as well as gels or plasters that can easily be applied to the knee, providing convenient pain relief no matter the weather.
Read more here about the ways you can help to prevent and ease knee pain in winter.
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