Can Acupuncture Help With Pain And Stiffness During Cold Winters?

Winter isn’t just a season of shorter days and chilly winds — it’s a season that can deeply affect our bodies. Many people notice more stiffness, achiness, and fatigue in the cold months, especially if they deal with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or lingering injuries.

Why Winter Amplifies Joint Pain & Muscle Stiffness

Western bio-medicine attributes joint pain and stiffness to the vasoconstriction of blood vessels, reducing circulation to the extremities. With less oxygen and nutrients reaching the tissues — and more waste products lingering — joints and muscles feel sore and inflamed. Even the synovial fluid that lubricates our joints thickens in low temperatures, making movement feel stiff and heavy (University Hospitals, 2024). In fact, a systematic review found significant correlations between weather conditions such as temperature and humidity and increased osteoarthritis pain (PMC, 2023).

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, this is what we refer to as Cold invading the channels, obstructing the natural flow of Qi and Blood. But the strength of TCM is its ability to differentiate patterns — not every case of winter pain is the same. Here are the most common patterns we see in clinic:

1. Wind–Cold–Damp Invasion (Bi syndrome)

How it presents: Sudden or wandering joint pain that’s worse with cold and damp weather, stiffness that improves with warmth, often localized but can shift. Usually no big systemic fatigue.

Biomedical correlate: Cold-induced vasoconstriction plus local inflammatory response — essentially, an external trigger bringing on pain.

Treatment focus: Expel Wind, Cold, and Damp; open channels; relieve obstruction. Acupuncture with local ashi points, cupping, and moxa are useful. Lifestyle-wise, protect from drafts, dampness, and cold — keep the joints warm and dry.

2. Kidney Yang Deficiency (winter-vulnerable yang)

How it presents: Deep aching in the lower back, knees, or bones; cold intolerance; heaviness; low energy; symptoms worsen in winter.

Biomedical correlate: Reduced metabolic and thermoregulatory reserve, which helps explain why these patients feel colder, weaker, and recover more slowly.

Treatment focus: Warm and tonify Kidney Yang with needling and moxibustion. Support long-term with constitutional tonification, warming foods, and herbal protocols.

3. Qi & Blood Stasis (chronic stagnation)

How it presents: Fixed, sharp, or stabbing pain, often with a history of trauma or unresolved injury. Range of motion is restricted and not easily improved by simple warmth.

Biomedical correlate: Chronic microvascular compromise, scar tissue, and adhesions that restrict local circulation and movement.

Treatment focus: Move Qi and invigorate Blood — stronger stimulation, bleeding or dispersion techniques when appropriate, cupping, tuina, and sometimes targeted moxa. Goal is to break up adhesions and restore smooth flow.

4. Qi and/or Blood Deficiency (poor nourishment of tissues)

How it presents: Diffuse aching and weakness, worse with activity and cold, pale tongue, low energy. Pain is more dull than sharp and comes with fatigue.

Biomedical correlate: Impaired tissue repair and poor perfusion/nutrition — reduced microcirculatory support for joints and muscles.

Treatment focus: Tonify Spleen Qi and nourish Blood so the tissues are better supported. Key points like ST36 and SP6, diet therapy, and blood-nourishing herbs can help.

5. Spleen Qi Weakness with Damp Accumulation

How it presents: Heaviness, swelling, and “soggy” joint pain. Worse with damp weather or after heavy meals. Often accompanied by digestive complaints.

Biomedical correlate: Sluggish metabolism and impaired extracellular fluid handling, leading to swelling and edema around the joints.

Treatment focus: Strengthen Spleen, resolve Damp, and promote fluid metabolism. Dietary adjustments, movement, herbal formulas, and gentle acupuncture strategies help mobilize fluids.

6. Liver Qi Stagnation (stress-tension pattern)

How it presents: Muscle tightness, cramping, irritability. Pain fluctuates with stress or emotional strain — often in the neck and shoulders.

Biomedical correlate: Autonomic dysregulation, with muscle tension and altered motor control patterns driven by stress.

Treatment focus: Move Liver Qi, stretch, and release holding patterns. Acupuncture points like LV3 and GB34, combined with qigong, yoga, or breathing practices, are effective.

7. Damp–Heat Bi (less common in winter)

How it presents: Hot, red, swollen, burning joint pain. Not typical for cold months but possible in individuals with metabolic or inflammatory predispositions.

Biomedical correlate: Correlates with inflammatory arthritis flares, where systemic inflammation overrides seasonal patterns.

Treatment focus: Clear Heat, resolve Damp, and reduce inflammation with cooling herbal strategies and targeted acupuncture.

The Bigger Picture

From both views, the cold months slow the body down — whether that’s described as Qi and Blood stagnating in the channels, or vasoconstriction reducing circulation and thickening synovial fluid. The result is the same: joints feel stiffer, muscles ache, and the body loses its usual resilience.

The role of acupuncture is to restore movement, warmth, and balance:

• In TCM terms: Expel Cold, move Qi and Blood, nourish deficiencies, and support Kidney Yang.

• In biomedical terms: Improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and trigger the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals like endorphins.

Together, these perspectives point to the same outcome: less pain, greater mobility, and a body that feels supported through the cold season.

If you’re noticing more stiffness this winter, acupuncture can help restore warmth and mobility. Book a treatment at Joseph Coccagna Acupuncture today.