How Does Colder Weather Affect My Shoulder Injury?

Shoulder injuries are well-known for their long-term effects. It can be hard to have the same range of motion or strength in a shoulder that has been injured, and the winter can be an especially difficult time. If you’ve got a shoulder injury and you’re experiencing pain, stiffness, or creaking as a result of the cold weather, it’s important to know that you’re not alone.

Cold weather and shoulder injuries

Because the shoulder and all of its parts are so close to the surface of your skin, it’s a site that is much more easily affected by the cold. When the barometric pressure drops, especially during snow storms, it can cause the cartilage and bone in this area to expand and harden, which causes a lot of pain and restricted movement. On top of that, your shoulder joint has synovial fluid that helps lubricate it, but cold weather can thicken that synovial fluid to the point where it’s not as effective. The result is a creaky joint that feels like it needs to “pop.” Of course, cold also restricts blood flow and contracts muscles, which means that your shoulder never really feels relaxed. This can harden scar tissue and cause muscles to atrophy through lack of movement.

All of this can be problematic for people who live in cold, humid, wet climates especially, but the main concern is that winter is associated with less movement. Because it’s hard to get out and have fun in the winter, your shoulder injury may remain a little more dormant than usual. This can cause it to be more painful when you do start using it, which is why exercise and motion is so important — even when you’re cold. 

How to reduce shoulder injury pain during the winter

The most obvious way you can help your shoulder injury in colder weather is to dress for the weather. Wearing longer sleeve shirts, coats, and even scarves can help protect your shoulder from colder wind and air. Other than that, you can also:

• Take hot showers or use heating pads. Letting hot water run over your shoulders can warm up your skin, relax your muscles, and decrease tension in your joints and tendons. It can also help blood and synovial fluid expand in the area, which is a known pain relief. Heating pads are also great when you can’t hop into the shower.
• Straps or braces. If your should injury is very new, a strap or brace to stop unexpected movement can help. However, you should still let your shoulder move in controlled ways, so don’t rely heavily on your strap or brace. If your injury is not new, a strap or brace can do more harm than good. 
• NSAIDs. Over-the-counter medications like Advil and Aleve can help reduce some pain, but should be used sparingly. 
• Physical therapy. After a shoulder injury, you likely had a physical therapy regimen to follow. Keeping this regimen up, especially during the winter, can help reduce any damage done by cold weather or decreased activity. If you don’t have a physical therapy regimen, you can ask your orthopedic specialist for exercises that can help improve range of motion and keep you active during the winter.

Want to make sure your shoulder injury pain is just a result of the cold weather? Call your orthopedic surgeon or specialist today.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119