How to Relieve Pain Caused by Fall’s Drop in Barometric Pressure
Changing weather doesn't have to mean sore joints and headaches.
Fall is here, and with the start of this crisp season comes a drop in barometric pressure. A type of atmospheric pressure that indicates changes in the weather, barometric pressure can affect our bodies, exacerbating the aches and pains that are a natural part of aging. It can be unpleasant, but it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the beauty of fall. Luckily, there are a variety of proven tips and tricks you can use to quickly short-circuit seasonal pains from your head to your toes. Try these suggestions and you’ll be walking around in the gorgeous fall weather without any of that pesky fall pain in no time.
If You Have a Backache
Research at Pennsylvania’s Arcadia University suggests that stretching your shoulders for less than a minute is all it takes to flush out pain-triggering inflammation in your back and loosen muscles. To do: Stand in a doorway with your hands at eye level on either side of the frame. Then step forward and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.
If You Have Wrist Pain
Everything from knitting to playing pickleball can leave wrists sore. The fix: Add a pinch of ground cayenne to ¼ teaspoon of olive oil, then smooth over wrists for 30 seconds. By faking a sensation of warmth, cayenne pepper’s capsaicin throws chemical messengers in the body into a state of confusion, exhausting their power in under a minute. This makes them less able to transmit pain signals to the brain, easing discomfort, say British scientists.
If You Have a Headache
Throbbing head pain as fall comes around? Take deep sniffs of cilantro (fresh or dried) for 1 minute. Research suggests this eases a headache. Previous research found linalool in the herb calms pain centers in the brain. Tip: Place 1 tablespoon of cilantro in a dish on your nightstand to thwart pain while you slumber: Smelling it while sleeping may cut the risk of next-day headaches.
If You Have a Stomachache
UK scientists say placing a heating pad on your abdomen quashes pain at a molecular level deep within the belly. That’s just like painkillers, but without side effects. And you don’t even need to crank up the dial! The lowest setting (104 degrees) is enough to block pain receptors, dulling their ability to telegraph discomfort.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
