At this time of year, many CRPS patients will experience increased levels of pain and discomfort due to the change in weather. How and why? Find out.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is excruciating for sufferers, causing constant pain and major discomfort, especially in winter. As an experienced CRPS lawyer firm, we engage with sufferers on a daily basis and understand that when the weather changes and the temperature drops, many CRPS patients report a severe change in their symptoms and find that they experience increased levels of discomfort. In fact, some sufferers are allegedly able to predict when a storm is on its way due to the subtle changes in their pain. To find out how and why the change in weather worsens pain, read our blog post.
With storms, cold winds, fog and sometimes snow, the winter season can be unpleasant for most people, especially for complex regional pain syndrome patients, whose symptoms flare up and worsen as a result of extreme weather conditions. Some believe that pain is worsened by barometric pressure; when the temperature drops, barometric pressure, the weight of the atmosphere surrounding us, will also drop. As the pressure drops, this adds extra pressure to our joints, resulting in symptoms worsening and pain becoming worse.
Supporting the connection between CRPS and the cold weather, researchers from the University of Manchester carried out a large-scale study on 9,000 chronic pain sufferers in three UK cities, Leeds, London and Norwich. Each day, CRPS sufferers recorded their symptoms on daily basis to find out once and for all whether or not cold weather was the culprit of their extreme pain. The study, called Cloudy With a Chance of Pain, obtained interesting results; during the sunnier months between February and April, patients experienced lower levels of pain, however during June, when the weather was wetter and there were fewer hours of sunshine, higher levels of pain and discomfort were recorded.
If you’re a complex regional pain syndrome sufferer and want to know how you can relieve your painful symptoms during the winter months, check out these tips:
Apply heat – Use a hot pack or warm towel to heat up the area that’s causing you pain. When doing this, make sure you don’t overheat the area and take breaks to avoid burning.
Exercise – Take part in light, regular exercise to stay active and keep your joints moving. If your joints are still for a certain amount of time, you will become stiff and could experience higher levels of pain.
Bathe – Warm baths are great for warming joints and relaxing. To further relieve symptoms, try adding some essential oils to produce calming smells.
Pain management – For sufferers, pain management clinics sometimes prove helpful, showing patients how to better manage and treat their pain.
Bundle up – This may seem obvious, but wrapping up during winter months is a great way to keep warm and as pain-free as possible.
As leading CRPS solicitors, Brian Barr are experienced in handling cases and working alongside sufferers. As a result, we know the condition well and work hard to earn the compensation our clients deserve. If you suffer with CRPS as a result of an accident or injury, give us a call on 0808 123 0003 to discover how we can help you.
We do not endorse any research, studies or sources mentioned within our blogs and comments. Furthermore, we do not endorse any medical advice provided, and would strongly recommend anyone seeking medical advice to contact their local healthcare provider.
