How to ease arthritis pain

Cold temperatures stiffen tissues around the joints, while shifts in barometric pressure irritate joint nerves.

- ANN GREEN

Luckily, you don't have to wait for the weather to warm up to get relief from osteoarthritis. Here's how to quiet the discomfort quickly and naturally.

Warm now, then cool later

Apply a heating pad for 10 minutes, wait 3 hours, then follow up with a cooling gel pack. The simple trick provides both immediate and lasting benefits. Warming aching joints boosts blood flow, reducing pain by as much as 40%, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Following with a cooling gel pack later then dials down the stubborn inflammation at the root of the discomfort.

The super duo