Simple Ways to Keep Away Body Pains during Winters

6 Effective Ways to Keep Away Body Pains, esp. When Temperatures Dip

Dr. Dhruv Bibra - Delhi Pain Management

FPM, DNB, DA, MBBS

6 Simple Ways to Keep Away Body Pains during Winters

Whether it is winter temperatures dipping, a lower temperature caused due to rains or chills created by air conditioning, the moment our body experiences lower temperatures than it is comfortable with, various forms of aches crop up, esp. if you already have a condition or have been physically hurt.

Winters are typically associated with several types of body pains. Particularly, we’ve seen higher incidences of nerve – related pain, joint pains and vascular pains during the season.

Manage your pains by following these 6 tips:

1. Keep yourself warm
Needless to say, it’s extremely important to keep yourself warm when its gets uncomfortably cold. Clinical research has shown higher incidence of nerve – related, vascular pain and joint pains if your body is exposed to low temperatures for long periods. This is especially true if you are 60+ in age. So, dress appropriately with body warmers, sweaters and jackets

2. Keep yourself physically active
A colder weather reduces average activity levels. An average person walks up to 1,000 lesser steps when its cold. To avoid pain in knees and other joints, it’s especially important to keep up activity levels. Try and take out time for walking in the afternoons or evenings, even if it is inside your house or office.

3. Take care of your diet
It is important to ensure that your intake of Vitamin D, Calcium and Vitamin B complex is adequate. Make sure that your diet remains rich in dal, green leafy vegetables (Vitamin B complex), milk (Calcium) and cheese and egg yolk (Vitamin D).

4. Get enough exposure to sunlight
Lesser exposure to the sun causes Vitamin D deficiency during winters, which can result in fatigue, lethargy and general body pains. Make sure to get at least 15-20 minutes of sunlight exposure, ideally in the mornings around 9am to 10am.

5. Avoid the wrong foods
Actively manage your diseases like diabetes and hypertension to stay pain free. If you suffer from diabetes, make sure that you do not overeat foods with high glycemic index. If you suffer from hypertension, it is important to keep away from spicy and oily foods.

6. Get expert advice
Visit your pain specialist if your pains continue for more than 2 weeks. Be regular with your prescribed pain medications, but strictly avoid self-medication or overuse of painkillers.

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