Arthritis and cold water swimming

lizzierain
lizzierain Member Posts: 4
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:07 in Living with arthritis

I have osteoarthritis in my hands, swollen knuckles particularly my index fingers and some stiffness in the knees. My finger joints can feel sore to touch in winter time cold. Sea swimming is something that I love. I wear 2 pairs of neoprene gloves and boots to keep my extremities warm (I also have Reynauds disease with white fingers and soles of feet in the cold). I was wondering if there is any research around arthritis and exposure to cold water? I know there are plenty of mental health benefits for cold water swimming and that it can boost circulation, however I now only swim once a week in the winter because I worry that my finger joints are more swollen and painful afterwards. I would be grateful for any information on this!

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