Achy joints in cold weather
A cold snap rolls in, and your knees, hips, hands or shoulders start to ache. Some people notice it most on damp or windy days, or in the hours before a storm, when the air pressure drops.
In worn joints, the cartilage has thinned. Cartilage is the smooth padding on the ends of your bones. With less of it, the joint is more touchy to what you do and how you feel.
Cold air may also make the muscles around a joint tighten up. The weather itself does not wear your joints down. It seems to change how the ache feels from day to day.
When to see someone
See a doctor if one joint turns red, hot and puffy, or you run a fever with it. Go too if the pain starts all at once after a fall, if the joint locks or gives way, or if you cannot put weight on it. Book a visit if morning stiffness lasts more than an hour, if many joints swell up, or if the pain keeps you awake at night.
Below is a list of home and traditional remedies that people have used for worn joints. Each one carries a grade that shows how much research has looked at it, not a promise about how you will feel. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you try one, above all if you take other medicine.
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