When temperatures drop, we will (almost) certainly have heard someone say that “it’s so cold you can feel it in your bones”. But does the cold really seep into the bones?
Ours bones they don’t really feel the cold like we do. They don’t have the same temperature-sensitive receptors that we have in our skin. There’s a good reason for this, given that our major bones are buried beneath layers of muscle, connective tissue, and skin, so the perception of temperature is not really essential for them.
However, just because bones don’t “feel” the cold, This doesn’t mean the cold doesn’t have an effect on them.
The bones can detect temperature changesparticularly cooling, through nerves in the outermost covering of the bone, known as periosteum.
This layer has what many scientists consider a network of neurons (cells that transmit signals) arranged in a fishing net-like pattern that detects distortions or injuries to the underlying layers of bone.
Although short-term exposure of the body to cold is not a problem for bones, Prolonged exposure over several weeks can shorten its length, reduce its thickness and decrease bone mineral density.
Other musculoskeletal tissues are much more susceptible to changes in temperature and pressure.
Synovial fluid, the lubricant for most major joints, becomes thicker when temperatures drop. This makes it more difficult and more uncomfortable for joints to move normallywhich is worsened in people with underlying joint conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
O cold also causes tissue contractionmaking everything tighter and more rigid. Tendons, which connect muscles to bone, increase their stiffness. Ligaments, which connect different bones around joints, also become stiffer.
All these changes make it more difficult for the muscles to perform their action of moving the bones, requiring more force and reducing their range of movement. This is made worse by humidity.
These effects occur simultaneously with the reduced blood flow to our ends. This protective mechanism is designed to ensure that our core, where all of our major vital organs are located, does not fall below the ideal operating temperature of 37°C. The reduction of blood in these tissues also contributes to tissue contractionas less blood is entering them.
All of these changes result in increased mechanical tension or pressure on receptor cells in the bones and surrounding tissues. This can activate pain receptors, which can be perceived as cold.
Unexpected role of the brain
The brain also plays a role. Dark winter months in the Northern Hemisphere mean that many do not receive enough sunlight to synthesize adequate vitamin D. THE Vitamin D deficiency is linked to poor bone health and conditions such as rickets (in children) and osteomalacia (in adults). But it also has other implications for how the cold is felt.
Research suggests that people with low vitamin D levels have greater sensitivity to pain, particularly musculoskeletal pain.
This is not the only effect that vitamin D has on the nervous system in relation to the perception of cold. It is also associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. People with these conditions have an altered tolerance when it comes to temperature.
Sunlight exposes the skin to the Sun’s radiation and visible light, both of which have a natural warming effect. So sunny, dry cold feels very different from wet, gray cold.
Coma!
The good news is that Consuming additional calories may help weather this latest cold snap. Wearing lots of layers of clothing and moving as much as possible will also help keep you warm by generating and retaining as much heat as possible close to your body.
