30% rise in joint and muscle pain cases among youth, elderly

Lucknow: Orthopaedic outpatient departments (OPDs) across the city are recording nearly a 30% rise in joint and muscle related complaints over the past 10 days as cold weather has intensified.Doctors say knee pain, lower backache, neck stiffness, and shoulder discomfort are the most common complaints during this period, with a sharp rise among elderly arthritis patients and a noticeable increase in neck and shoulder pain among younger people.Prof Kumar Shantanu, faculty, orthopaedics department, KGMU, said the trend is seasonal and seen across both govt hospitals and private practice. "Joint-related complaints clearly increase during cold weather. Currently, around 50 patients visit us daily, with arthritis patients reporting greater stiffness and pain as temperatures fall," he said.A similar rise has been reported at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences. Dr Deepak Kumar, faculty, orthopaedics, RMLIMS, said patient numbers have increased sharply. "On normal days, we see around 20–30 patients with stiffness or joint pain. These days, the figure has risen to nearly 50 daily, more than 50% higher than usual," he said.Prof Shantanu said weather changes directly affect joint symptoms, with pain—especially in the knees and fingers—worsening during winter. He advised patients to stay physically active, continue walking or cycling, do regular exercises, and use heat therapy for relief. He said people above 55–60 years are the most affected, as existing degenerative changes worsen in cold weather, leading to knee, ankle, and lower back pain. People with old injuries are also experiencing pain and discomfort, Prof Shantanu said. "In cold weather, joint tissues become tighter and more fibrosed, which aggravates pain and stiffness, especially at sites of previous injury," he explained. He recommended heat therapy using warm compresses, hot water bottles, physiotherapy along with wearing warm clothing, particularly over the lower limbs.Private practitioners are reporting similar trends. Dr Sandeep Kapoor, director, Health City Vistar and orthopaedics specialist, said joint and muscle related complaints rise sharply in winter. "We see an overall increase of about 25–30% in patients," he said. He added that besides elderly patients, many youngsters report neck pain and muscle spasms in winter. "Poor posture, excessive mobile and laptop use, and awkward positions under quilts lead to neck stiffness, shoulder pain, and pain radiating to the arms," he said.