When the cold wave comes, how to protect your joints
Although cold stimulation is not a causative factor of arthritis, it can induce or aggravate pain in arthritis patients。This is because when the soft tissue of the joint is stimulated by cold, the sensitivity will increase and the pain threshold will decrease, which will make the pain feel worse。In addition, when the legs are cold, the blood vessels around the knee joint contract, resulting in poor blood circulation, and the acidic substances produced by muscle consumption can not be metabolized in time, which can also cause pain。So, how should arthritis patients successfully winter？
Learn to use knee pads properly
The main function of knee pads is to protect the knee joint and provide it with stable support, and the full-wrapped knee pads also have a local thermal effect。For people with unstable, loose or vulnerable knees, knee pads can provide additional support and reduce the risk of knee joint shaking and injury。In addition, knee pads can also disperse the body's pressure on the knee joint and relieve the fatigue and pain of the knee joint。
When using knee pads，Note the following points: Before using knee pads，Make sure the knee area is clean and dry，No skin trauma or inflammation;The type and size of knee pads should be appropriate，Ensure that it can fit and fix the knee joint;When wearing knee pads，To adjust the tightness，It should fit tightly to the knee joint，Nor too tightly bound;Avoid over-reliance on knee pads，Causing muscle atrophy and joint stiffness。
Joint hot compress to avoid burns
Joint hot compress can promote local blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and facilitate the penetration of topical drugs。There are two main methods for joint hot compress: dry hot compress: Apply a hot water bag or hand warmer to the knee joint，20-30 minutes at a time，1-2 times a day;Wet compress: Soak a towel or gauze in a hot tub，Remove and wring until half-dry，Apply to knee joint，Change every 5 minutes，Apply for 20-30 minutes at a time，Can be applied 1-3 times a day。After the hot compress, the patient can rub a large area around the knee joint for 2-5 minutes to promote blood circulation。
One thing to note，The temperature of the hot compress should not be too high，The warm baby should not be directly attached to the skin surface，To prevent skin burns;When using patches containing drugs or TCM decoction for wet application，Pay attention to whether the skin tolerates it，Some patients may have skin allergy symptoms;He has thrombotic phlebitis and peripheral vascular disease，And patients with broken skin，Warm compresses are not recommended。
If the patient's joint pain continues to be unable to relieve, or even joint swelling, morning stiffness and deformation, it is necessary to go to the hospital in time to improve the relevant examination, identify the cause of joint swelling and pain, and carry out reasonable drug and surgical treatment。(Edited by reporter Jiang Xuehua)