How to ensure healthy joints to enjoy this winter

By Song Sang-ho

With the winter’s coldness seeping in earlier than usual, a lot of people have already started to prepare for the coming winter months.

Some people have started making kimchi to last all winter and heating systems being inspected to ensure warmth in houses. In particular, cold temperatures are the biggest environmental factor that influences health problems, resulting in many diseases such as flu and respiratory illnesses due to the weakness of the immune system in such conditions.

Moreover, cold temperature is agonizing for arthritis patients as well.

In fact, during winter with its harsh winds, “early inspection” is the best wintering for patients suffering from arthritis.

Before the winter takes its toll, one should visit the hospital and get an accurate diagnosis on the status of his joints and if there seems to be a problem, appropriate treatment should be received for healthy knees to last throughout the winter.

People tend to think that degenerative arthritis is simply something that comes with age rather than considering it as a joint related problem. So the majority of the elderly people tend to be passive on its management and treatment.

However, management of joints can be prevented in advance through early treatments and it also alleviates the pain.

In the case of degenerative arthritis, drug or injection therapy can be applied in the early stages when the pain isn’t so severe.

However, once the joints are damaged greatly and if deformation has already started surgical considerations such as arthroscopy or knee replacement have to be considered.

Recently, knee replacement surgery methods have developed, reducing the incision range with the introduction of “minimal skin incision technology,” preserving the muscles and tendons thus preventing complications and side-effects. As patients are able to recover faster from surgery, aged patients are now turning to surgery.

Besides this, there are other ways in the daily life to prepare your joints for the winter.

To overcome the cold temperature, joint areas should be kept warm as this assists blood circulation. When going out, one must wear under-clothing to make sure that joints are not exposed to the cold winds.

Wearing thick coats is more effective in preventing injuries. Knee protectors which can easily be bought in the market make the knees much warmer and using heaters or blankets when inside a building helps maintain warmth.

Hot packs or lower-body bathing after an exercise or an outing relieves the firmness in the joint areas, easing the fatigue built up in the joints and reducing pain. If you feel pain in the joint areas, hot packs are effective.

Appropriate exercises also can be very helpful.

During winter when it is dry and cold joints can easily be exposed to various types of conditions.

Once the weather turns cold, the majority of arthritis patients try to minimize activities and try not to burden the joints but in reality, appropriate exercise reduces pain and prevents joint inflammation.