Ease ALL your achy joints in three easy steps

Read our expert guide to keeping pain at bay when the temperature plunges, by NICK COW AN, osteopath

JOINT pain is an all-year-round misery. But in the colder, wet months it can be particularly hard to handle. A recent study published in the journal Pain found two thirds of those interviewed claiming that changes in weather led to discomfort.

The usual cause of joint pain in those ten million Britons.

The most common type, osteoarthritis, is often called wear-and-tear arthritis, because of the way the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. The resulting friction can lead to the exposed bone growing into lumps

The body’s soft tissues are less pliable everything hurts more in the colder months. Annoyingly, there is no cure. But that doesn’t mean a life of painkillers.

Patients tell me getting out of bed can be the hardest part of the day, in term of pain – but also, once you get moving, discomfort eases. routine of simple mobilisation exercises and stretches. You can do this every morning, before you even get out of bed, and again every evening

1. HEEL SLIDES

YOU can do this as soon as you wake up, and it gets the knees and hips moving. Repeat the movement as many times as is comfortable for a minute or two.

Flex your feet towards you, with your legs out straight.

While keeping your heel on the bed, slowly begin sliding your foot towards your body by bending your knee.

Repeat with the other leg.

2. KNEE HUGS

is a fantastic exercise that targets all the joints, including those of the back. You can do this in bed, but make sure your head is on the pillow, so you can keep a neutral spinal position.

knees bent.

Draw one knee towards your chest as far as you can, and ‘hug’ it with both arms, keeping it as close to your body as possible without causing you any pain. Make sure your upper back doesn’t lift up.

Hold this position for ten seconds, then let go and slowly return the leg to its resting position, before repeating with the other leg.

Now lift both knees towards the chest and ‘hug’ your arms around both legs. Hold for ten seconds.

Finally, slowly roll your knees from side to side while keeping the ‘hug’ going. You don’t need to go very far – it’s more just to gently mobilise rather than achieve a feeling of stretching.

3. SHOULDER ROLLS

move, which will start to warm up all of the muscles that surround the neck.

While on your back, lying in a neutral position, with your head on the pillow, slowly start to roll your shoulders in a circular motion.

Roll in one direction ten times, then reverse direction and repeat.

There are many other strategies that will help tackle your joint pains – too many to include here. But a few things I talk to patients about include approach, but it’s worth investing time and money into getting the best ones for you.

support your back in a neutral position, and your up, or so soft that it’s tilted downwards.

Experimenting with additional pillows, between the knees if you are a side sleeper, or under if you sleep on your back, might help achieve a better posture in bed too. Posture while carrying out daily activities is also key: using your legs properly and not bending down and putting strain on the lower back when lifting.

Use a stepladder, rather than stretching and straining to reach high shelves. If you use a walking aid, make sure it’s the correct height – an make sure you have a similar assessment: employers have a duty to provide adjustments to your environment, including back supports, foot supports, and a desk and screen set up to minimise strain on the joint.

contain omega-3s, and vitamin D for bone health.

Finally, get up and move, every 20 minutes. I’m always seeing older patients who tell me they have basically sat at their desk for 40 years – and to an extent, there is only so much I can do. Prevention is far better than cure.