Managing Joint Pain During the Holidays

The winter is often the time for celebrations and for some fun and action-filled outdoor adventures. If you love skiing, snow tubing, and snowshoeing, you need to have strong, healthy joints to indulge in these activities.

We understand that painful joints can spoil your holiday spirit. That’s why we have gathered these valuable insights on joint pain — to help you understand your body a little better and to help you deal with any flare-ups.

What You Need to Know About Joint Pain

Joints connect our bones and help us move. However, conditions such as osteoarthritis, bursitis, strains, and sprains can limit your movements and cause painful joints. Joint pain is a common problem during the holiday season. Many complain of knee pain, followed by shoulder and hip pain due to cold temperatures, hectic schedules, and busy preparations.

Joint pain intensity may range from mild discomfort to severe pain that is potentially debilitating. Pain and discomfort can be acute (lasting for a few weeks) or chronic (lasting for several weeks or months). When left untreated, it could affect your quality of life.

Here are some of the most typical symptoms of joint pain:

• Locking of the joint
• Swelling, redness, tenderness of the joints
• Limited range of motion
• Joint weakness and stiffness
• Limping

The combination of hectic holiday preparation and cold weather could cause more problems for people with arthritis. Although cold temperatures do not cause arthritis, they can exacerbate pain in the joints. Simply imagine that the synovial (joint) fluid is a car engine oil. When subjected to cold, the fluid does not move well to lubricate your car’s moving mechanical parts. The same happens to your joint. Without proper lubrication, it can lead to joint stiffness and pain.

Holiday Tips to Keep Your Joint Healthy and Pain-Free

A stress-free holiday season may not always be possible. Certain factors can significantly impact your joint health, especially those with arthritis. Busy holiday preparation can exhaust your body, particularly your joints.

With all the celebrations, delicious dishes, and activities happening during the holidays, managing joint pain causes can be quite difficult. However, being mindful of your actions can keep the pain low and your holiday spirits high.

Here are some joint pain relief tips to help you survive the holidays:

• Watch What You Eat

If you experience joint pain, certain foods and beverages have compounds that trigger the body to produce chemicals that inflame the joints. For instance, cheeses, organ meat, beer, and wine have high uric acid levels that cause gout, a severe inflammation of the joint. With tons of foods and beverages served during the holiday, make sure to enjoy them in moderation. However, if you already have lingering joint pain, better avoid them altogether to avoid aggravating the pain.

• Plan Travel Wisely

Holiday travel is no fun at all when you are in pain. If you are going on a long-distance trip, make sure to plan it strategically to make the journey comfortable.

If you are driving to your destination:

• Take regular breaks and get outside the car to stretch and walk around for a few minutes.
• If you are driving with another person, make sure to switch driving duties so that you can have time to relax.
• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Pack healthy snacks.
• Wrap up or take a blanket with you if the cold weather can worsen the pain.

If you are travelling on a plane:

• Book a nonstop flight to avoid walking around through the airport.
• Pack light and bring all essentials to manage your pain, such as your medications, back or neck pillows.
• Instead of carrying a heavy bag, use a rolling suitcase
• Drink plenty of fluid.
• In case of a long flight, take some time to walk up and down through the aisle whenever possible.

• Take Your Prescribed Medications

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can make people forget to take their maintenance medication on time. Missing doses, unfortunately, can exacerbate the pain, making it even harder to manage later. To make sure that you do not miss a dose, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to take your meds on time. Carry some with you wherever you go.

• Regular Exercise

While holiday preparations and the various celebrations may fill up your schedule during the season, take some time to exercise. Low impact exercises can be an effective joint pain remedy as it helps boost joint function and reduce pain in people with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

Engaging in a 5 to 10-minute home exercise, while minimal, can help reduce pain. Stretching and yoga exercises can also help improve joint health. Other options include swimming, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, and cross country ski machines.

• Practice Relaxation

From Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s Eve preparation and celebration, the winter holidays can be stressful. If you are suffering from an injury or a joint condition, stress does not only trigger pain but also impact your mental health.

Practicing relaxation techniques can help you deal with stress that is caused by pain or just general holiday fatigue. Here are several tips to get you started:

• Allot at least an hour each day to write a journal.
• Enrol in a meditation class or search online for a guided meditation for pain management.
• If you find yourself overwhelmed, take a few minutes to inhale and exhale deeply to release the tension.
• Go outside and walk to clear your mind.

• Get Enough Rest

Taking some time to rest your tired joints and muscles is crucial for surviving the holidays. You might have a packed holiday schedule and activities to attend to, but make sure to take it easy. Listen to your body. Never overdo physical activities or do holiday errands all at once. If you feel exhausted, make sure to take a break.

Also, get enough sleep. Sleeping helps regulate and balance your hormones. Imbalanced hormones can have a significant impact on your emotional and mental health, which can make you moody and irritable. Additionally, poor sleep can trigger inflammation in the body, resulting in muscle pain and worsen inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. The combination of moodiness, irritability, and poor sleep can make pain management even harder. Rest, relax, and take some time to recover if necessary.

The holidays should be a fun and joyful time of the year and without the pain. Do not let joint pain spoil your holiday celebration. Visit a physiotherapist as soon as possible.

Call the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres of Ontario at (905) 579-9938 to book an appointment, or visit our Oshawa Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre for a physiotherapy session for arthritis pain.