Winter Knee Pain? Try These 3 Little-Known Pain Relief Tips
The colder it gets here in Elizabeth and Jersey City, the more your joints like to “complain.”
If you’ve noticed your knees feeling stiffer, achier, or just plain grumpy once the temperature drops, you’re not imagining it. Cold weather can change how our joints feel and move. And if you deal with everyday knee pain, winter tends to crank your pain way up.
But here’s the good news: you’re not stuck with it.
Here’s 3 lesser-known, physical-therapist-approved tips that can help you quiet down those winter knee aches, no matter what type of knee pain you have.
- Tip 1: Wake Up Your Knees Before You Stand Up
We all know the feeling: you sit down “for a minute” and then, it’s an hour later. You go to stand up… and your knees say, “Nope!”
Here’s why:
When you sit for long stretches in the colder months, blood flow to the surrounding muscles drops.
Your joints stiffen, your tendons tighten, and your knees decide they’re not as flexible as they were 60 minutes ago.
What you need to do instead:
Before standing up, take 10–15 seconds to “pre-warm” your knees.
Try this while you’re seated:
- Gently straighten your knee → bend it back
- Rotate your ankles
- Squeeze your thigh muscles a few times
I know it seems tiny, but these simple actions wake up the muscles that support your knees before you put weight on them, so your first few steps don’t feel like you’re walking on rusty joints.
- Tip #2: Keep Your Knees, and Core, Warm (This One Surprises Most People)
Most people bundle up their hands and ears, but your knees? They’re left out in the cold.
Cold joints = stiffer tissues.
Stiffer tissues = more knee pain.
But here’s the part most people don’t realize:
When your core is cold, your body tenses up to stay warm, and that tension travels straight down to your knees.
A simple fix:
- Wear thermal leggings or tights under jeans.
- Use light compression sleeves to trap warmth around the knee joint.
- Do 2–3 minutes of light movement indoors before heading outside.
Those small adjustments boost your blood flow, reduce your stiffness, and protect your knees when the winter chill hits.
- Tip #3 Drink More Water (Yes, Even in Cold Weather)
Most people drink way less water in winter because they don’t feel thirsty. Look it up, it’s a real thing.
But even mild dehydration affects your joints. Your cartilage loses fluid, the joint becomes less cushioned, and suddenly your knees feel creaky, cranky, and tight.
Hydration helps your joints glide smoothly.
Simple as that.
What counts:
- Water
- Herbal tea
- Warm lemon water
- Broths
If it keeps you hydrated and warm, your knees win twice.
- When Your Knee Pain Isn’t Just “Winter Pain”
If you’ve tried these tips and your knee pain is still sticking around… that’s your body asking for help. Winter can make problems like these even worse:
- Weak hips and core muscles
- Tight quads or calves
- Early arthritis
- Old injuries that never fully healed
- Poor movement patterns
- Overloading the joint without realizing it
- Do You Want Happier Knees This Winter?
Your knees have things they want to do this season: walking, shopping, traveling, playing with kids or grandkids… not sitting out because they hurt.
At Complete Physical Rehabilitation, we you get to the root cause of your knee pain, whether it’s winter-related or something deeper.
👉 Click below to Inquire about cost and availability, and let’s keep you moving smoothly through the cold months.
Dr. James Pumarada, DPT, is co-owner of Complete Physical Rehabilitation with his wife, Dr. Asha Pumarada.
With over 25 years of experience, he is a board-certified sports specialist and vestibular therapist who helps patients overcome everything from stubborn neck pain to dizziness and vertigo.
When he’s not helping patients get back to feeling their best, you’ll probably catch him finding excuses to test the newest travel gadgets or planning his family’s next adventure.