Big swings in temperature are welcomed by a lot of Winnipeggers, especially when things heat up, but drastic shifts from cold to warm and back again can mean pain for many, including those with arthritis.
Winnipeg is in the midst of such a shift — from a wind chill that felt like -35 on Monday to the temperature expected to reach a high of 2 C by Wednesday.
Dr. Siân Bevan, chief science officer at the Arthritis Society Canada, told 680 CJOB it’s still unknown why the increased pain occurs.
“There’s some suggestion that as these atmospheric changes happen, the circulation changes and that fluid pressure in our joints increases inflammation, so that might have something to do with it,” Bevan said.
“Some researchers propose that as cartilage wears away because of arthritis, maybe our nerves and our bones are becoming more sensitive to these pressure changes.”
Bevan said people with arthritis can get some potential relief by taking a hot bath or shower, soaking areas that have increased pain and bundling up when heading outside in the winter.
“Hot water bottles, warm packs, heating pads, things like that (can help)… and when you’re going outside, make sure you’re dressing in layers, making sure you have no exposed skin out there.”
Staying active and managing your diet are also ways to help with pain, Bevan added.
Humans aren’t the only ones affected by drastic fluctuations in temperature.
Some animals can be impacted as well, but with an expected quick melt before the cold weather returns, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue, says Barrett Miller with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.
Miller said many animals rely on snow for insulation, so longer warm spells can cause more problems.
“There’s some animals like squirrels, raccoons, skunks… they sort of roll with it,” he said.
“They go into a torpor state — a mini-hibernation — when it’s cold, and they wake up and go out and forage when it’s warm.”
