Health

Britain's Cold Snap Worsens Pain for Many, but Does Winter Really Intensify Chronic Ailments

January, 09, 2025-03:18

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Britain's Cold Snap Worsens Pain for Many, but Does Winter Really Intensify Chronic Ailments

Britain is currently enduring its first significant cold snap of the winter, leading to even more discomfort for countless individuals suffering from aches and pains.
Cold weather has historically been linked with heightened pain and reduced mobility.

Research indicates that up to 75 percent of people with chronic pain, including those with osteoarthritis (affecting roughly ten million people in the UK) and rheumatoid arthritis (where the immune system mistakenly attacks joints), believe that dropping winter temperatures exacerbate their symptoms.
Studies suggest that even menstrual pain can intensify during colder conditions, a phenomenon some experts refer to as “winter period fatigue syndrome.”

A US study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health revealed that menstrual cramps were more intense in the winter when indoor temperatures dropped to 18°C compared to a more comfortable 23°C.
Furthermore, the research indicated that consuming ice cream or cold water—especially in winter—could increase pain for women.
It's proposed that cold temperatures prompt the release of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins in the uterus, which lead to muscle contractions and painful menstrual cramps.
Nonetheless, while the evidence regarding the cold's effects on period pain appears substantial, the relationship between long-standing arthritic pain or backaches is more complicated. Britain is facing its first major chill of the season, meaning millions with aches and pains experience heightened discomfort.

Although weather conditions seem to influence symptoms, comprehensive scientific studies have not convincingly demonstrated a straightforward connection between falling temperatures and rising pain levels.
"The jury is still out on the connection between cold weather and pain," states Dr. Kirsty Bannister, an associate professor of pain neuroscience at Imperial College London.
"In fact, when it comes to conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, there is no solid data to back this up."

Interestingly, other aspects of winter weather might be significant, as shown in a significant 2019 study from the University of Manchester.
This research followed 13,000 individuals in the UK suffering from chronic pain conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia, which is characterized by widespread discomfort.

Participants logged their pain levels using a smartphone app while GPS trackers monitored weather changes.
The findings, published in the journal NPJ Digital Medicine, showed no direct link between cold weather and increased pain reports.
This contrasts with a vast amount of anecdotal information suggesting cold temperatures heighten pain, prompting questions about why so many assume cold worsens chronic pain.
One theory posits that temperature drops can activate pain-sensitive nerve endings in the skin.

This helps explain why facial areas can sting in frigid conditions; it's the nerves responding to the environmental shift rather than a direct worsening of pain from an underlying illness that causes this sensation. However, people often connect this discomfort with pain.
"My arthritis patients often say their discomfort worsens in the cold," mentions Dr. Benjamin Ellis, a consultant rheumatologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London. "But this doesn’t necessarily indicate a deterioration of their condition. Instead, it relates to how the central nervous system reacts to cold weather."

Curiously, researchers from the University of Manchester discovered a link indicating that many participants reported significantly increased pain on damp days and, intriguingly, on days with strong winds.
Such conditions appeared to elevate the likelihood of participants experiencing more pain by approximately 20 percent, with pain scores higher on damp, chilly days compared to dry ones—indicating that dampness, rather than temperature, played a crucial