The weather is cold and my knees hurt

When the weather gets cold, the easiest way is to add clothes in time. As long as you keep your body warm in winter, you will not only be less likely to get sick, but also enhance your body's resistance. If you find that your knees hurt when the weather turns cold, it is very likely that you are not paying attention and the cold air is invading your knee joints. Over time, this can cause a series of diseases in your knee joints.

What to do if you have knee pain

1. Physical therapy

The functions of physical therapy are to reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, promote blood circulation, promote the absorption of inflammation, and improve knee joint function. Physical therapy can be a gentle and effective way to relieve knee pain and stiffness. However, during the acute attack period of the knee joint, especially when the knee joint is red, swollen and hot, do not use hot compresses to reduce swelling and relieve pain, so as to avoid overheating and aggravating local swelling. For external use, you can choose pain-relieving plasters or acupoint patches, or you can choose Voltaren emulsion or safflower oil, bone-setting water, etc.

2. Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment

Traditional Chinese medicine classifies knee pain as arthralgia, believing that the disease is caused by deficiency of vital energy, exogenous cold and dampness, or trauma that leads to stagnation of qi and blood, internal generation of phlegm and dampness, which flow into muscles and joints. Under the guidance of a Chinese medicine physician, acupuncture and massage, Chinese medicine fumigation and washing, Chinese medicine external application, Chinese medicine internal administration and other internal and external treatment methods can be used, combined with functional exercise for comprehensive treatment.

3. Surgical treatment

Those with severe symptoms can undergo surgical treatment. Different surgical methods may be used depending on the condition, such as arthroscopic osteophyte resection, loose body removal, meniscectomy, joint cleaning, joint fusion, and artificial knee replacement.

Pay attention to the maintenance of your knee joints, exercise properly, combine work and rest, and seek medical help in time when you find any problems. You can get rid of the pain of knee joints as soon as possible and enjoy a high-quality life in your later years.

How to keep your knee joints warm in winter

1. Keep warm

When the knee joint is exposed to cold, blood vessels constrict and blood circulation deteriorates, which often aggravates the pain. Therefore, you should pay attention to keeping warm in cold weather and wear knee pads if necessary to prevent the knee joint from getting cold. During the day, you can wear thicker clothes and wear a knee pad with appropriate tightness. If the knee pad is too tight, it will hinder local blood circulation and aggravate the condition. At night, you can use cotton and cotton cloth to make a pair of thick trouser legs and wear them at the knee joints. The trouser legs should not be too tight, but comfortable. Lightly tighten the two ends with cotton bands to make sure they are not loose.

2. When the knees are cold, massage the Futu point

Futu point belongs to the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming. It is good at dispelling wind and dampness, dredge meridians, and dispel cold and relieve pain. It is mainly used to treat low back pain, cold knees and paralysis of lower limbs. When your knees are cold and painful, you can use your thumb to massage the Futu point to make the local soreness and swelling obvious. It is best if you feel fever. Moxibustion can also be used to enhance the therapeutic effect. (The Futu point is located on the outer side of the thigh, on the line connecting the anterior superior iliac spine and the outer edge of the patella, 6 inches above the outer upper edge of the patella.)

3. Do not contact with cold water

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis should always pay attention to weather forecasts, strengthen cold protection and keep warm when cold waves hit or the weather changes, and avoid contact with cold water as much as possible. Experts especially remind some beauty-loving ladies not to wear skirts in cold weather. Some rheumatic knee arthritis is actually a kind of "skirt disease" caused by cold. When the temperature is below 16℃, you should add clothes in time, and even wear knee pads to protect the knee joints.

4. Eat a healthy diet

Supplementing more vitamin E and eating more foods containing niacin and B vitamins can dilate peripheral blood vessels. Eat more warm foods such as nuts and carrots, and avoid eating raw or cold foods, ice cream or cold drinks. Eating spicy foods such as chili, pepper, mustard, etc. in moderation can promote blood circulation. Insist on eating on time, avoid picky eating and excessive weight loss, and allow your body to store a proper amount of fat to help maintain body temperature.

5. Heat your knees

Hot compress can dilate blood vessels, improve local blood circulation, and promote local metabolism. It can also relieve muscle spasms, relax nerves, and improve tendon flexibility. Hot compress is divided into dry hot compress and wet hot compress. Dry heat compress is to apply a hot water bag to the knees for 20-30 minutes each time, 1-3 times a day. Wet hot compress is to soak a towel or gauze in a basin of hot water, take it out and wring it until half dry, apply it on the knees, and then cover it with a cotton pad to prevent heat loss. Change it every 5 minutes, apply it for 20-30 minutes, and apply 1-3 times a day.

6. Soak your feet in hot water

As the saying goes, "Soaking your feet in hot water is better than taking tonic medicine." Soaking your feet in hot water is beneficial for the prevention of osteoarthritis. Zou Yonggen said that in cold and humid seasons, it is best to soak your feet in hot water after going out and coming home. This can not only improve the body's immunity, but also prevent rheumatic diseases caused by the humid environment and climate. When soaking your feet, the hot water should reach above the ankle joint and the time should be about 20 minutes, which can promote blood circulation in the lower limbs.

7. Get more sun

Get more sun exposure to keep your knees warm and avoid getting cold. The sunlight exposure time is reduced in winter, so when the weather is good, you should get more sun exposure to increase the formation of vitamin D in the body and increase the absorption and utilization of calcium in the body to maintain bones.