Orthopaedic specialists explain how sudden changes in movement, travel, footwear and diet overload hips and knees – and which small adjustments can prevent stiffness, swelling and long-lasting flare-ups before the New Year begins.
People often blame the cold or the holidays for their joint issues, but it’s usually the routine that does it. Travel, sitting for hours, extra weight on the joints from less movement, and those “one-off” activities that add up across December. An extensive study published projected that nearly 1 billion people will be living with osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis – by 2050. Today, it is estimated that around 15% of adults aged 30 and over already have osteoarthritis.
Specialists say joints don’t suddenly break over Christmas – the season shifts behaviour, and the flare follows.
“At this time of year, people move differently,” explains Dr. Sarunas Tarasevicius, orthopaedic surgeon at Nordorthopaedics. “Some sit for long hours while travelling, others overload their joints at parties or events. Add heavier food, less water, missed medication, and joints that were coping suddenly start to hurt.”
Why the festive season is tough on joints
The holiday period compresses several risk factors into a few weeks – prolonged sitting, long periods of standing, irregular sleep, rich food and unfamiliar footwear. For people with knee or hip arthritis, these changes often intensify pain and stiffness. But even otherwise healthy joints can react.
“When your routine shifts overnight, joints are exposed to loads they’re not used to,” says Tarasevicius. “That’s when swelling, stiffness or pain becomes noticeable – not because the disease worsened, but because the environment changed.”
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