Do you hate the winter because it makes your joint pain worse? You’re not alone!

Many people claim that their pain gets worse during the winter months - and there may be some science to back up those claims. Since the snow isn’t falling just yet, this is the perfect time to start getting your pain relief treatment perfected with the Handy Cure laser unit. The Handy Cure can treat a large variety of pain-related conditions, joint pain being one of them.

Keep reading to find out just how winter affects joint pain, and how the Handy Cure laser can help stop that pain.

How the Cold Affects Joints and Joint Pain

People who have Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, limb pain, scar pain, trigeminal neuralgia, and lower back pain often find their symptoms becoming worse during the colder months. Scientist can’t agree if the change in weather can actually cause or worsen joint pain, but there are many theories. One of the leading theories is that the change in air pressure is the culprit. Many people say that their joint pain gets worse when it snows, rains, or is damp; this theory suggests that it's not actually the snow or rain that is causing pain, but rather the barometric pressure triggering it.

If you don’t already know, barometric pressure refers to the weight of the atmosphere that surrounds us. Barometric pressure drops usually just before “bad weather” sets in. When this happens, the lower air pressure pushes less on the body, allowing the tissues surrounding your joints to expand, which puts more pressure on the joints. This is thought to be why people experience more joint pains during bad weather.

Other scientists believe that the level of exercise, diet, and mood during the fall and winter months is the reason for the increase in joint pain. People tend to stay indoors more often during colder weather, meaning they aren’t working their muscles or joints as much, which will allow them to stiffen. Our diet affects not only our weight, but also immune system and our bodies ability to stay warm. Eating healthier foods, such as heavy stews and soups, can actually help fuel your body’s “inner furnace” and keep you warmer. When you’re warmer you won’t feel as stiff. Many people also tend to experience depression during the winter months, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), due to being stuck indoors or the lack of sunlight. Depression has been proven to not only have an affect on an individual’s psyche, but also their physical body as well.

The colder months also have an affect on our immune systems. As mentioned before, more people tend to stay indoors more during the winter months. This causes people to come into more contact with others, meaning illnesses, such as colds or the flu, are passed on much easier. Along with feeling stuffy and tired, a cold and the flu can also leave you feeling achy, especially if you are already prone to muscles and joint pain.

How Does the Handy Cure Help with Joint Pain in the Winter?

While the Handy Cure isn’t going to cure your cold, it can definitely help with the joint pains you may be experiencing. The Handy Cure is used to reduce swelling in muscle tissue and around joints. At the same time, it works to increase microcirculation, or blood flow, to those areas to help them heal faster. The Handy Cure laser is able to target the areas pain, deep into the tissue to relieve the pressure that is causing joint pain. Since the Handy Cure is not invasive, you don’t have to worry about it affecting any medication that you are taking, such as pain medication or cold/flu medication, and causing a negative reaction.

You can use the Handy Cure as much as you need to. If your joint pain is severe, it is recommended that you use the device 3 times a day to help reduce the time that you are in pain. If you have minor joint pain, you can minimize the amounts of times you use it per day. It is also recommended that you start using the Handy Cure before the cold weather starts setting in and has time to increase your joint pain. This will make relieving your pain easier and faster, and may even help stop your pain before it can begin. Thanks to the Handy Cure’s small size, you can use the device at home or on the go (the battery last up to 18 hours), giving you pain relief whenever you need it.