Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Fact Check: Do Old Bone Fractures Hurt More During Winters?

As winter comes, many people notice that their old fractures have started to hurt. Winter weather often brings back old discomforts to joints and muscles, but why does this happen? Does winter temperature really mean that old fractures reopen?

Some believe that they in fact do, however, Health and Me ran a <span>fact check</span> on whether cold temperatures actually reopen earlier healed fractures and here is what we found. 

<h2>What Doctor Says On Cold Temperatures And Healed Fractures</h2>

Health and Me spoke to Dr Sameer Patil, MS Orthopedics, MBBS, Spine Surgeon (Ortho), and Orthopedic surgeon at the Vencer Hospital Pune, who said that while most patients do complain about an increase in old fracture pain, old or healed fractures do not reopen in winters. "However, low temperatures can affect tissues surrounding the area with an old-healed fracture," he says. 

What this means is that when temperatures are low, tissues that surround an old or healed fracture contracts and hardens the muscle tissues, ligaments, and the same tissues then become less dependent on blood circulation, thus get more sensitive. "As a result, patients complain about old fracture pain," explains the doctor. 

Hippocrates first described this connection around 400 B.C., yet even after 2,400 years, science still doesn’t have a definite, evidence-backed explanation for why some people feel more pain when the weather turns bad.

The most widely accepted idea today is that dropping barometric pressure before a storm lets the soft tissues and fluids around joints expand. This slight swelling can irritate nearby nerves, especially in places already sensitive from old injuries, leading to that familiar ache.

A simple way to picture barometric pressure is to think of a balloon. Air inside pushes outward while the surrounding air pushes inward. Our bodies experience something similar. When the outside pressure falls, gases inside the body can expand, including those dissolved in the fluid around joints and tendons. Even a tiny increase in pressure in an injured area can aggravate nerve endings, and the brain interprets that sensation as pain.

Doctor explains that another reason could also be due to a decrease in physical movement. "As people remain seated for a considerable period, joints and regions around old injuries usually become stiffer, thus worsens the pain." He points out that people with pre-existing diseases, for instance post-traumatic arthritis, low levels of vitamin D, and young onset osteoarthritis, have a higher chance of developing intensification of winter pain. "Fog, air pollution, and reduced sunlight exposure associated with winter might result in low levels of vitamin D, thereby causing generalized aches within bones and joints," he says. 

The doctors notes that this sort of pain is "normally transient and not a sign that the break is getting weaker". 

Dr Patel says that some gentle stretching, stays against the cold, and some movement could alleviate these problems. "It might be useful for more serious pain issues to be assessed by a specialist."

Dr Patel points out that while old broken places may be uncomfortably sensitive if it is winter, "scientifically, a broken bone does not hurt again because of the damage. It is only because it becomes stiff because it is cold."

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As winter comes, many people notice that their old fractures have started to hurt. Winter weather often brings back old discomforts to joints and muscles, but why does this happen? Does winter temperature really mean that old fractures reopen?Some believe that they in fact do, however, Health and Me ran a fact check on whether cold temperatures actually reopen earlier healed fractures and here is what we found. What Doctor Says On Cold Temperatures And Healed FracturesHealth and Me spoke to Dr Sameer Patil, MS Orthopedics, MBBS, Spine Surgeon (Ortho), and Orthopedic surgeon at the Vencer Hospital Pune, who said that while most patients do complain about an increase in old fracture pain, old or healed fractures do not reopen in winters. "However, low temperatures can affect tissues surrounding the area with an old-healed fracture," he says. What this means is that when temperatures are low, tissues that surround an old or healed fracture contracts and hardens the muscle tissues, ligaments, and the same tissues then become less dependent on blood circulation, thus get more sensitive. "As a result, patients complain about old fracture pain," explains the doctor. Hippocrates first described this connection around 400 B.C., yet even after 2,400 years, science still doesn’t have a definite, evidence-backed explanation for why some people feel more pain when the weather turns bad.The most widely accepted idea today is that dropping barometric pressure before a storm lets the soft tissues and fluids around joints expand. This slight swelling can irritate nearby nerves, especially in places already sensitive from old injuries, leading to that familiar ache.A simple way to picture barometric pressure is to think of a balloon. Air inside pushes outward while the surrounding air pushes inward. Our bodies experience something similar. When the outside pressure falls, gases inside the body can expand, including those dissolved in the fluid around joints and tendons. Even a tiny increase in pressure in an injured area can aggravate nerve endings, and the brain interprets that sensation as pain.Could There Be Other Reasons?Doctor explains that another reason could also be due to a decrease in physical movement. "As people remain seated for a considerable period, joints and regions around old injuries usually become stiffer, thus worsens the pain." He points out that people with pre-existing diseases, for instance post-traumatic arthritis, low levels of vitamin D, and young onset osteoarthritis, have a higher chance of developing intensification of winter pain. "Fog, air pollution, and reduced sunlight exposure associated with winter might result in low levels of vitamin D, thereby causing generalized aches within bones and joints," he says. The doctors notes that this sort of pain is "normally transient and not a sign that the break is getting weaker". What Can Bring Some Relief?Dr Patel says that some gentle stretching, stays against the cold, and some movement could alleviate these problems. "It might be useful for more serious pain issues to be assessed by a specialist."Dr Patel points out that while old broken places may be uncomfortably sensitive if it is winter, "scientifically, a broken bone does not hurt again because of the damage. It is only because it becomes stiff because it is cold."