If you have fibromyalgia, the constant aches, stiffness, and fatigue that you deal with may seem to get worse as the summer turns to fall and then winter. Many people with fibromyalgia report that they feel symptoms more acutely during cold weather. But why do fibromyalgia symptoms seem worse or harder to manage when the weather turns cold? Unfortunately, cold weather affects everyone’s bodies in ways that target the parts of the body fibromyalgia affects most.
Why Does Cold Weather Make Fibromyalgia Symptoms Harder to Manage?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in muscles and joints, fatigue, sleep problems, and difficulties with thinking and memory (i.e., “feeling foggy”). Because fibromyalgia amplifies the signals that the nervous system sends for pain and fatigue, environmental changes like cold weather can make the nervous system even more sensitive. Even though lots of people with fibromyalgia report worse symptoms during fall, winter, and early spring, doctors do not yet fully understand the exact mechanisms connecting cold weather to fibromyalgia symptoms.
Potential Fibromyalgia Symptoms Aggravated by Cold Weather
Fibromyalgia symptoms commonly reported as worse during cold weather include:
- Muscle tension or stiffness: Cold temperatures can cause muscles to tighten and reduce circulation in the extremities to keep internal organs warm. As a result, cold weather can cause muscles in hands, feet, arms, and legs to feel tighter, potentially increasing the severity of pain and stiffness for fibromyalgia patients.
- Pain: Widespread body pain may feel worse in cold weather due to a possible association between low pressure during storms in cold weather months and increased nerve sensitivity.
- Fatigue: Fatigue associated with fibromyalgia may have an association with several aspects of life during colder months. For example, shorter days and the time change associated with Daylight Saving Time can affect sleep patterns, and poor sleep can worsen lower energy levels, physical fatigue, and stress caused by fibromyalgia. People may also become less active during the winter, which can adversely affect physical conditioning.
Practical Tips for Managing Fibromyalgia Symptoms During Cold Weather
Practical steps that you can take to manage fibromyalgia symptoms during colder months include:
- Always dress in layers and keep hands, feet, and the neck warm with gloves, warm socks, and scarves.
- Stay active indoors as much as possible with stretching exercises, yoga, or walking around the house.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
- Try to get as much daylight exposure as possible.
- Track symptom severity and weather patterns to see how colder weather affects you specifically.
When Should You Speak to a Healthcare Provider?
Although colder weather may worsen your fibromyalgia or make symptoms harder to manage, that does not necessarily mean that you need medical attention. However, you should see a healthcare provider if fibromyalgia symptoms during colder months interfere with sleep or your ability to work or perform daily activities, or if seasonal flare-ups become more frequent or severe. You should also see a healthcare provider if you experience new or unusual symptoms that feel out of the ordinary for a seasonal flare-up of fibromyalgia symptoms, as that may indicate other musculoskeletal conditions.
Your healthcare provider can also develop a treatment and management plan tailored to the symptoms you experience in colder weather.
Contact Us Today
When colder weather causes your fibromyalgia to get worse, you don’t have to suffer through the fall and winter waiting for warmer weather in the spring. Proper care can address symptom changes that commonly occur during late fall, winter, and early spring. Contact Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine today for a consultation if you notice your fibromyalgia symptoms worsening as the days get colder. We can help you explore options to manage your symptoms so you can stay active during the cold weather months.