Top Story: Research shows a connection with chronic pain and cold weather

It’s getting cold out and the temperatures will drop even more  as the winter months approach.This transition of seasons can be hard for many of us, but especially those who deal with chronic pain.

Dr. Clarence Shannon, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, was interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio’s show Minnesota Now about the connection between chronic pain and cold weather. “We do know that as it gets colder, the barometric pressure decreases and that pressure that is put on our bodies and our joints decreases. This allows the joints and the ligaments to swell, and as a result, patients might have pain secondary to that,” Dr. Shannon said. “We do know that as the pain gets worse with cold, so people who have Raynaud's disease or peripheral vascular disease, if there's constriction to vessels and constriction to end organs, we can have increased pain secondary to that. And that can be significant.”

To warm up, Dr. Shannon suggests wrapping up, using compression sleeves for joints that are swelling, and getting up and doing things that require physical activity. If that doesn’t help, anti-inflammatory medications and muscle relaxers may be a good option. Acupuncture and massage therapy are also great ways to combat this pain, he says.

You can listen to the full interview with Dr. Shannon here.