Is the "old cold leg" frozen? Experts support the joints

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Nowadays, it is the coldest period of time, and some old people will always say bitterly to young people that they do not pay attention to keeping warm now, and beware of "old cold legs". The scientific name of "old cold legs" is osteoarthritis, and patients will have uncomfortable symptoms such as knee, leg and ankle pain in case of cold. So, is the "old cold leg" frozen?

"Although the 'old cold leg' often aggravates the pain due to the cold, the 'old cold leg' is really not frozen. Cold does not directly cause osteoarthritis to occur. Yang Huaqing, chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, said that the reason why people think that "arthritis is frozen out" is because the joints of osteoarthritis patients have undergone degenerative changes, there are pathological changes in local tissues, the weather becomes cooler or the joints are locally cold and damp, which will induce symptoms such as pain and swelling of local joints.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common degenerative diseases in the elderly, and there are many factors that lead to osteoarthritis, such as increasing age, obesity, strain, etc. Although cold is not the direct cause of osteoarthritis, the effect on osteoarthritis cannot be ignored. Yang Huaqing reminded that the cold can lead to aggravation or recurrence of osteoarthritis symptoms, if you do not pay attention to warmth in winter, the joints will be cold for a long time, which will cause local vasoconstriction, joint fluid secretion is reduced, thereby indirectly causing joint damage, accelerating joint degeneration, reducing joint life.

Yang Huaqing said that developing a healthy lifestyle can help prevent the occurrence of osteoarthritis. Such as reasonable diet, scientific exercise, weight control, reduce the burden of joints and improve joint function, avoid running, jumping, squatting for a long time, while reducing or avoiding climbing stairs, climbing mountains; pay attention to the warmth of joints in autumn and winter, avoid cold, moisture to prevent aggravation of bone and joint symptoms, middle-aged and elderly or weaker people in the weather when the weather turns cold, should be timely according to the weather conditions to increase or decrease clothing, morning and evening cooler can add more clothes, local can use knee pads, wrist pads, stockings or gloves, etc.

The "old cold legs" are especially difficult in winter. Han Liang, attending physician of the Department of Orthopedics at The Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, advises patients to pay attention to the following points:

Exercise appropriately

The weather is clear at noon, the sun is full, the temperature is relatively high, and it is also the time of day when the yang in nature is at its peak. People can exercise appropriately after lunch, such as walking, sitting and sleeping on a bicycle, lifting the heel and other lower limb training, which is conducive to taking advantage of the natural yang temperature to warm the human body, increase the strength of the joint muscles, and improve the blood flow of the lower limbs.

Avoid climbing stairs

In winter, avoid squatting, climbing stairs and other actions that are easy to increase the weight of the knee and ankle joints and aggravate wear, especially pay attention to the warmth of the lower limbs during sunrise and sunset. Because at the turn of day and night, the temperature in nature changes greatly, and it is more susceptible to cold and evil, and vigorous exercise should be avoided as much as possible during this period to prevent excessive consumption of the body's righteous qi.

Reasonable foot soaking

According to personal circumstances, select some traditional Chinese medicines with warm meridians, dispel wind and cold, and warm tonify kidney and yang effects as foot bath prescriptions, such as salvia, cinnamon, stretching grass, cinnamon sticks, etc., after boiling into a suitable water temperature, medicinal bath soaking feet. 1 to 2 times a day, each time for about 15 minutes, can play a role in activating blood stasis and performing temperature menstruation.

Acupressure massage

You can choose the three yin intercourse, between the rows, Chengshan, zusanli, Weizhong, calf nose these acupuncture points for acupuncture point massage, fingers after clicking the acupuncture points, clockwise circularly and gently press the points to rub these acupuncture points, feel the sour swelling is appropriate; you can also use Mo Yan Wen Moxibustion These acupuncture points can also play a role in warming the meridians and dispelling the wind and cold.

Beijing News reporter Liu Xu

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