Does cold weather make your muscles feel stiff and sore?
Winter weather is here. It commonly is a time we hear patients complaining of their bodies feeling tight, tired and fragile.
This is particularly the case for those that have pre-existing joint or muscle injuries. There are various reasons why our muscles tend to become tightened, particularly in the colder months of the year. During Winter, we tend to be a little less active. Staying indoors more, on the lounge, in our warm beds etc. Inactive muscles can make them tighten and your joints a little bit less elastic.
Do you notice it’s when you first get out of bed in the morning or the first couple steps after getting up from the couch that your back hurts, or your knees?
Long periods of inactivity in your muscles can cause muscles to tighten. For example, sitting at your desk for a long period of time your legs are in a bent or flexed position. This causes the muscles that bend the hip to shorten and become tight.
Muscles prefer to function at a particular length – naturally. When muscles become shortened or lengthened, they become weak, painful and tight. This then creates imbalances within your muscles and pain results.
This is where your Osteopath can help identify muscle imbalances and provide natural manual therapy and recommend gentle exercises to restore balance to your muscles and bring pain relief.
Some tips to help reduce muscle pain during Winter:
Keep up some exercise:
Maintaining regular exercise through the Winter can be more challenging than the warmer sunny months of the year. Your body will thank you for it however, if you can keep a regular exercise routine. It will help keep your muscles and joints more flexible and relaxed despite the chilly conditions. Whatever activity you choose, always remember to stretch and warm up before hand, so to avoid pulls and strains of any affected areas.
Take time to relax:
It is important to take time to relax and recline during the winter, allowing our bodies to rest and heal. If you suffer from muscle and joint pain it is also recommended to regularly enjoy a long, warm bath – as this encourages blood vessels to dilate and relaxes the muscles.
Stay hydrated:
Although we tend to favour hot drinks such as tea and coffee during Winter months, it is also important to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated during the colder months can have a positive effect on muscle and joint injuries as it helps to keeps our body tissues healthy.
Osteopathic treatment can help:
Osteopathic treatment can help to bring relief from the seasonal aches and pains of Winter. Our Osteopath here on the Central Coast will assist through moving, stretching and massage of affected muscles in order to improve function, preventing issues from re-occurring and working to increase mobility and manage discomfort.
During Osteopath consults you may also be advised on simple exercises you can do to counter any muscle imbalances. If you have had an injury or a tightened muscle over a long time, it may be muscle spasm causing pain, tightness and restricted movement. If so, our Osteopath will treat to reduce muscle spasm and restore the body to normal function.