Winter brings in lots of fun. It’s the holiday season, and you can style yourself with trendy winter wear. Eating your favourite pakoras and sipping hot tea or cocoa is the season. But this season could bring in more pain for those suffering from shoulder pain. One feels a sudden pain when exposed to the cold outside, and it is indeed the cold weather that causes a lot of discomfort in your otherwise healthy body.
So why does the pain increase in the neck and shoulders? The answer surprisingly lies in our daily routine. We do regular activities like lifting weights, improper sitting and standing positions, etc. During winters, when we do the same activities unknowingly, we hunch over to keep our bodies warm. So if you are already suffering from shoulder pain, this constriction makes the feeling of pain more severe. When the temperature dips, arthritis patients tend to experience more pain.
What causes shoulder pain to increase during winter?
In the cold season, muscles lose heat rapidly and contract. The body tightens and loses flexibility. The tendons surrounding the joints tighten, hence reducing movement. Psychologically, the cold weather also wants us to bundle up and avoid movement. This restricted movement also increases muscle stiffness. The cold temperature makes doing simple tasks difficult that were easily completed. In cold places, the atmospheric weight is not acting against our body force, making the body tissue expand, so the joints feel additional pressure.
How to alleviate Shoulder pain?
Daily Exercise: Exercise is the best way to counter the effects of shoulder pain due to a cold. Regular exercise increases blood flow and reduces muscle stiffness. Amongst all the exercises, stretching exercises are the best way to alleviate muscle stress. Stretches expand the contracted muscles, tendons and ligaments. The best exercises are:-
- Upward stretch
- Side bends
- Forward stretch
- Backward stretch
- Spinal stretch
These 5 types of stretches expand the shoulders, neck, spine, hands, legs, hips, calves, ankles and soles of the feet. These stretches can be done in standing, sitting and sleeping positions too. The best time to do these stretches is in the morning, as soon as you get up and freshen up.
Maintain body heat: Apply heat packs, which you can do by yourself. Get a good massage to feel good and soothe achy muscles. Also, relax your mind and muscles in a sauna or a hot water bath.
Appropriate clothing: In winter, when the cold wind blows, you naturally slouch over to protect yourself, resulting in a bad posture. Hence, wear winter clothes to warm yourself up when you go outside. Always wear a scarf during winter or other cold days to prevent increasing tension.
If you want to know the best stretches that alleviate neck and shoulder pain, contact a shoulder doctor for expert advice. Dr Chandra Sekhar is one of the best shoulder surgeons in Hyderabad, and he will guide you on how to safeguard yourself from the cold so that you can enjoy this joyous season to the fullest. For any shoulder-related issues, please call 99595 88389 and book your slot.
