chilly mornings can be trying for those with joint pain heres how to curb the painful condition winter is prime time for succumbing to aches pains and stiffness confirms dr john dickson cofounder of the primary care rheumatology societywhen its damp or cold and the weather gets worse we can really feel it in our joints osteopath and physio tim allardyce agrees cold joints tend to be stiffer in cold weather warm joints are more mobile how come its not just an old wives tale its due to barometic pressure says dr john that is the weight of the air pressing on the earth and its changes can be felt within the nerve endings of the tissues inside a joint so when low or high weather pressure systems move across the earths surface people who suffer from arthritis are affected heres how one can curb the onset of arthritiswatch your weight excess upper body weight can strain the back and joints a bmi of 25 or over is classed as overweight regular exercise is a great way of reducing and preventing pain walking and swimming help strengthen core and back muscles while yoga and pilates improve flexibility even doing some simple leg raises and bottom lifts at home can helpmanage stress stress causes muscle tension which can make pain worse follow a healthy nutritious diet exercise regularly and get a good nights sleepsit up straight good posture helps alleviate aches and pains when sitting at a desk make sure you have support at the small of your back and feet flat on the floor with hips and knees level when driving ensure you can easily reach the foot controlsreview your diet deficiency in some vitamins and minerals is linked to a degeneration of bone and joint health a lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis so up your intake of foods such as dairy broccoli and almonds or consider a supplementvitamin d helps calcium uptake in the body tooinvest in furniture it may be worth purchasing specialist chairs which are designed to support the natural curve of your back and offer support to hips and if your mattress is too soft it wont give your spine or hips sufficient support