Hot sun, hot sand, hot dogs, hot… joints? The sizzling joys of summer can also bring inflamed joints and arthritis flare-ups if you’re not careful. Here are our top tips for managing arthritis and joint pain this summer.
From excessive heat to increased humidity to dehydration, the summer season poses a challenge for those with painful joints.
While living with this pain can be frustrating (especially when you want to make the most of summer fun), with a few lifestyle shifts you can get relief naturally and enjoy the summer months free from pain.
Keep reading to learn more about why joint pain and arthritis can flare up in the summer and what you can do to prevent it or find relief.
Understanding Joint Pain and Arthritis
If you’re feeling an ache, soreness, or stiffness in your joints, you’re not alone. At least 1 in 4 of us struggle with joint pain and arthritis, and it’s even more common the older you get.
Joint pain is a general term for pain that occurs in any joint of the body and is usually caused by inflammation, injury, or other medical conditions. Arthritis, on the other hand, is a specific type of joint pain that involves inflammation and degeneration of the joints. Arthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints and can make it difficult to move and perform daily activities.
The Most Common Types of Joint Pain
Not all joint pain is the same. Depending on the type of joint pain you have, you may need to seek out different treatments or health habits to keep your pain at bay.
1) Osteoarthritis (OA)
This is the most common type of joint pain caused by wear and tear on the joints over time.
2) Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
RA is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation, heat, and swelling in the joints and eventually leads to joint damage if left unmanaged.
3) Gout
Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints, which can cause sudden and severe pain. It is less common than osteoarthritis and is often managed well with diet and lifestyle changes.
4) Bursitis
Along with arthritis and generalized joint pain, other issues like injuries, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia are often accompanied by some level of joint pain.
5) Other joint pain conditions
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What Causes Joint Pain?
There is no single factor that causes joint pain, but rather a combination of different factors. Some we can control (like diet or activity levels), others we cannot (like aging and environmental factors).
Natural Aging
The most common cause of joint pain is the natural aging process. As we age, our joints lose their flexibility, cushioning, and strength after years of wear and tear. Repetitive activities (such as typing, playing sports, or using certain tools) are another common cause that leads to joint pain and inflammation over time. Similarly, poor posture consistently puts excess strain on the joints and surrounding tissues, which increases inflammation and pain.
Diet & Activity Levels
Diet and activity levels can also significantly impact the health of your joints. For instance, if you eat a diet high in inflammatory foods or with low levels of key nutrients for bone and joint health, you will have a higher risk of developing joint issues. Being overweight also stresses the joints beyond normal wear and tear and issues like arthritis are more likely to develop early. The good news is that the reverse is also true – eating a healthy diet, managing your weight, and getting regular exercise can keep your joints healthy and prevent this damage.
Unavoidable Factors
Some factors are unavoidable, such as your genetic predisposition to joint issues, the environment you live in, or certain medical conditions you may have. While you may not be able to avoid these issues entirely, healthy joint habits act as a counterbalance and can help you live with less (or even zero) pain.
How Summer Weather Can Trigger Joint Pain and Arthritis Flare-Ups
Do you feel like you can predict the weather by how your joints feel? It’s not all in your head – joint pain can be easily exacerbated by different shifts in temperature, weather, and pressure.
While some people experience an increase in joint pain in the cold of winter, others feel worse pain, swelling, stiffness, and redness during the dog days of summer. If that’s you, you likely have a more inflammatory type of joint pain.
Inflammation is inherently hot, so when we are exposed to heat (through soaring temperatures outside, hot showers, or heating pads) our joints feel even worse. In summer, we also sweat more which leaves us at a higher risk of becoming dehydrated. Along with leaving you tired, foggy-headed, and irritable, dehydration increases inflammation and prevents our joints from getting the cooling fluids they need to function properly.
Humidity and air pressure also play a role in joint pain in summer. Think about what happens to your skin when you’re in a humid environment. It swells and feels stiffer than usual. The same happens to the tendons, ligaments, and muscles making your joints feel stiff and irritated. If your joints have worn cartilage, this exposes your nerves to changes in the air pressure and sends your pain skyrocketing.
Tips to avoid summer heat joint pain
You can’t change the weather, but you can take on these tips to avoid summer heat joint pain.
1) Cool off frequently.
Enjoying the great outdoors is the best part of the summer months. But spending too much time in hot weather can wreak havoc on your joints and lead to arthritis flares. Enjoy nature, but take regular breaks to cool off by going inside or going for a swim.
2) Maximize the cooler hours of the day.
In most areas, heat from the sun builds up between noon and 3 PM, making the mid to late afternoon the hottest time of day. Plan to take on your errands or enjoy your favorite outdoor activities on either side of this heat window to avoid your exposure to high temperatures and still make the most of the summer season. For example, schedule your outdoor workouts in the morning when the temperatures are cooler.
3) Stay hydrated.
Avoiding dehydration in summer heat is essential self-care for anyone this time of year, especially if you struggle with joint pain or arthritis. Drink plenty of water (or refreshing lemon water or iced green tea) throughout the day to keep joints lubricated and inflammation levels low. As an added bonus, staying hydrated also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which is important for managing joint pain and arthritis.
Lifestyle Changes to Manage Joint Pain and Arthritis
Tips like staying hydrated and working out in the cool mornings can be simple yet impactful when it comes to reducing joint pain in summer. But they won’t solve the root of the problem alone. To make real strides against worsening joint pain and arthritis, lifestyle changes are what make a lasting difference.
One of the main causes of joint pain is excess weight. When you are overweight or obese, your joints have to work harder to support your body weight, which can lead to increased wear and tear on the joints over time.
Carrying around excess weight also causes the body to produce more cytokines – inflammatory chemicals exacerbate joint pain and arthritis. Obesity has also been linked to metabolic changes that can cause the cartilage in joints to break down more quickly. This not only causes pain and stiffness but also significantly reduces your ability to move with ease and stay independent as time goes on.
Even if you are at a healthy weight, certain lifestyle habits (like a sedentary job or junk food diet) can leave you feeling achy. Ready to make a few simple changes towards a healthier lifestyle without joint pain?
1) Get moving.
On a sweltering day, the last thing you might want to do is get even hotter by exercising. But, staying sedentary leads to increased swelling and more joint pain. Keep your joints feeling limber despite the heat with exercises such as walking, swimming, cycling, indoor workouts, exercises for joint mobility, or summer sports. Just remember to turn down the dial on high-impact activities (like running or jumping) which can put additional stress on your joints.
2) Eat for joint health.
Research proves that what you eat plays a huge role in how well your joints function – and how susceptible they are to stress, inflammation, and damage. The good news is that making simple changes to your diet can have big payoffs when it comes to managing joint pain.
The first step is to limit the amount of inflammatory foods and drinks you consume. This means anything with high amounts of added sugar, processed foods, saturated fat, and alcohol. Next, fill your plate with a rainbow of fresh produce, healthy fats, and high-quality protein. Eating a range of functional whole foods will ensure you’re also eating a range of different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that protect your joints and fight pain.
Watermelon, avocados, fatty fish, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, and citrus fruits are all delicious ingredients that beat the heat while protecting your joints. To satisfy your summer sweet tooth, try making this healthy recipe for the ultimate ice cream shake.
3) Embrace alternative pain relief for joint pain and arthritis.
When you’re in pain, it’s only natural to take a painkiller to put your joints at ease. Unfortunately, medications only mask the pain and don’t help solve the cause of the problem.
Instead, make it a habit to reach for natural or alternative methods to relieve your pain while healing your joints. For instance, cold or ice therapy may help ease joint pain if inflammation has caused the flare. Applying a natural cooling pain-relief cream can also take the edge off painful joints.
Seeking Professional Help for Joint Pain and Arthritis
For a more proactive approach to joint pain relief? Chiropractic care and dietary therapy can help. Not only do these help you get the relief you need to enjoy your summer but they also support joint and tissue healing from the root.
1) Stop pain with AlignLife Chiropractic Care.
Chiropractors use hands-on techniques to manipulate the spine and other joints in the body to reduce pain and enhance overall joint function. Oftentimes, misaligned joints put stress on other joints in the body, leading to pain and discomfort. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore proper alignment so the joint can function normally and painlessly.
Chiropractic adjustments also help reduce the inflammation that triggers joint pain and arthritis. By reducing inflammation, improving joint mobility, and restoring proper alignment, chiropractic care helps prevent further joint damage and slow the progression of arthritis.
2) Overcome inflammation with AlignLife Functional Nutrition.
Your joints need a range of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to function properly. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get the right amounts of all the necessary nutrients you need daily – leaving you vulnerable to issues like oxidative stress and inflammation.
Functional nutrition approaches inflammation by identifying and addressing the underlying causes of inflammation, such as food sensitivities, nutrient deficiencies, and lifestyle habits. By taking an individualized approach to diet, we can provide the body with the key anti-inflammatory nutrients your body is craving to promote healing in the joints.
3) Achieve your weight loss goal with AlignLife Weight Management.
Excess weight means more stress on your joints. And more stress means more pain, damage, and injuries. The seemingly simple solution is to lose weight. But as anyone who has tried to shed a few pounds before, that’s much easier said than done!
Weight loss is no easy task, especially if you’re struggling with aching joints that make exercising a challenge. With help from AlignLife’s Weight Management team, however, you’ll have everything you need (from diet and exercise plans to top-tier accountability and support) to help you lose weight effectively and sustainably.
Step into Summer Pain-Free with AlignLife
High temperatures, humidity, and pressure changes can cause increases in pain, inflammation, and stiffness. But summer doesn’t have to leave your joints hot and bothered.
Whether you have mild joint pain or severe arthritis now is the time to take action. Along with applying these smart summer habits and lifestyle tips, getting the professional help you need to fight joint pain is the key to enjoying an active, pain-free summer.
Schedule a visit with your local AlignLife team to start your custom joint health plan.
