Does Being Cold Make Your Muscles Ache?

Our body needs blood flow to keep us warm and working.

During winter, some of the blood flow is rerouted naturally by the body toward vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys to keep them functioning. This deprives the joints and muscles of warmth, leading to aches and pain. The muscles tend to contract and lose more heat during winter. This may result in tightness throughout the body, a lower range of motion, and a higher likelihood of nerve compressions. All these can lead to aches and pain.

Moreover, cold weather causes lower air temperature and the air to contract, thus leading to lower barometric air pressure, in response to which the soft tissues around the joints expand creating restriction in the joints. This can result in muscle and joint pain.

Depending on the cause, muscle ache can be mild or severe and may be associated with other symptoms such as:

• Stiffness
• Weakness
• Swelling and/or redness
• Difficulty walking
• Decreased range of motion
• Discomfort
• Decreased appetite
• Low or bad mood

Muscle ache or myalgia can be acute or chronic or delayed-onset muscle soreness that occurs after exercise and may involve the ligaments, tendons, and fascia (soft tissues that keep various body structures, including the muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and organs, in place).

Most cases of muscle ache are caused by:

• Injuries such as:
  • Sprain and strain
  • Fractures
  • Tendonitis
  • Overexertion or extreme exercise
  • Myofascial pain syndrome
• Infections such as:
  • Cold and flu
  • Malaria
  • Trichinosis
  • Dengue
  • Lyme disease
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Autoimmune diseases such as:
  • Inclusion body myositis
  • Polymyositis
  • Lupus
  • Multiple sclerosis
• Neuromuscular disorders such as:
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Spinal muscular atrophy
• Certain medications such as:
  • High blood pressure medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
  • Statins used for lowering cholesterol
  • Cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiation therapy

Other conditions that can lead to muscle pain include:

• Hypothyroidism
• Stress
• Nutritional deficiencies such as anemia or low vitamin D levels
• Dehydration
• Lack of sleep
• Electrolyte imbalance such as hypocalcemia (low calcium levels)
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Mononucleosis
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Peripheral artery disease
• Sarcomas (soft tissue cancer)
• Leukemia (blood cancer)

Muscle ache can be relieved by the following measures:

• Gently stretch yourself
• Avoid sitting for a long time
• Take adequate rest and elevate the painful part
• Massage the joints and muscles gently
• Use ice packs to reduce inflammation
• Use hot fomentation or a warm water shower to increase blood flow
• Drink plenty of water
• Do a proper warm-up and cool exercises
• Do not push your limits while exercising
• Take over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen
• Topical creams and gels that contain menthol or capsaicin, can ease muscle soreness
• Try alternative techniques such as meditation and acupuncture
• Consult your doctor for the diagnosis and treatment of any underlying health conditions