Winter pain flare ups explained
Finn Diamond 09/06/26POV for Melbournians: Puffers are on, heaters are set to high and the body is feeling stiff again.
If you feel like your body becomes stiffer, sorer or more achy during winter, you are definitely not alone. Every year once the Melbourne grey days set in, we see an increase in flare-ups of old injuries, joint pain, tendon pain and general stiffness.
Whilst the colder weather isn’t necessarily “damaging” your body, there are a few reasons why symptoms can feel worse coming into May & June.
The main reasons are:
1) Narrowing of blood vessels
2) We naturally move less
3) We don’t adjust our training.
Narrowing of blood vessels: The colder weather causes our blood vessels to narrow slightly which can reduce blood flow to muscles and joints. This can make the body feel stiffer and tighter, especially first thing in the morning or after sitting for long periods. We particularly see this in peripheral areas of the body including feet, ankles, hands and wrists.
We naturally move less: Additional to point 1, most of us naturally move less during winter. We train less, walk less and spend more time indoors. When movement drops off, stiffness and pain sensitivity can increase pretty quickly.
We don’t adjust our training: Another thing we commonly see is people trying to train the same way they did in summer without adjusting properly for the colder conditions. Just like your car on a cold frosty morning where your windscreen has iced over (lucky for you if you have a garage!), you turn your car on and wait for it to warm up. Our bodies need adjusting too, we need a longer warm up and a gradual build into activity so our tissues can perform optimally.
The good news is that in most cases a winter flare-up does not mean you have caused new damage. Often it is more related to increased stiffness and sensitivity rather than an actual worsening injury.
Some of the best things you can do during winter are:
- Keep moving consistently
- Prioritise strength work
- Warm up properly before activity
- Stay generally active even on colder days
- Direct heat, such as a hot shower or heat pack over the tender area
As simple as it sounds, motion is lotion when it comes to managing winter stiffness and flare-ups!
If your symptoms are becoming more severe, you are noticing swelling, significant weakness or your pain is progressively worsening, we are always here to help and guide you.
I hope this gives you a better understanding as to why you may notice a few more aches and pains during the winter months!