Why Your Shoulder Pain Flares Up in Cold Weather

As we roll into the colder winter months, you may be dreading the decrease in temperature because you know it will lead to an increase in your shoulder pain.

Your shoulder pain doesn’t just flare up out of the blue, though — the cold weather brings more pain for specific reasons.

Here at Carolina Joint and Arthritis in Wilmington, North Carolina, we have helped many patients battle this problem over the years. Here’s what we tell them.

What are the possible explanations?

If you notice your shoulder pain getting worse in the winter, you’re not just imagining things. There are legitimate explanations:

A drop in barometric pressure

Cold weather causes the barometric pressure in an area to drop. As the air pressure decreases, it puts less pressure on your body, allowing soft tissues such as ligaments and muscles to expand. This expansion creates more joint pain and stiffness than when temperatures are warmer.

Increased stress and tension

Cold weather tends to make us shiver, bend over, and hunch our shoulders to try to get as warm as possible. Doing this repeatedly can cause stiffness and tension in your shoulders, and the resulting muscle contractions can increase your pain.

Sensitivity to cold weather

If you have arthritis, your joints will likely be more sensitive to cold weather. There’s no conclusive scientific explanation for this, but the simple reality is that cold weather really does increase the pain level for people with arthritis and similar conditions. You may also feel stiff and swollen.

Thickening of the synovial fluid

Synovial fluid is a liquid that keeps your joints moving smoothly, providing cushioning for your bones. It’s found in all of our joints, including our shoulders. When the temperature drops, the fluid becomes thicker, reducing joint mobility. The slower the synovial fluid flows, the more likely you are to experience increased pain.

Decreased activity

When it’s cold outside, most of us just want to stay inside our own warm houses. The problem with that is that a lack of regular movement can weaken the muscles and tendons supporting your shoulder. As these structures weaken, they are less able to support the joint, leading to pain at the tendon attachments and around the joint as well.

Can you prevent your shoulder pain flare-up?

You can try a few things to gain some relief. Dress warmly to prevent shivering and hunching your shoulders. Take warm baths and showers and use a heating pad to keep your muscles as warm as possible. Regular exercise can mitigate stiffness and pain, keep your blood flowing, and keep your muscles strong.

If you do all of these things and your shoulder pain doesn’t go away or gets worse, you may have an injury that requires specific treatment. If this is the case, our team at Carolina Joint and Arthritis includes some of the leading experts in regenerative treatments — we’ll help you heal as quickly as possible.

To schedule an appointment, call our office at 910-659-9597 or use our online booking tool to schedule your own appointment.