Practical Ways to Stay Warm When You Live With Pain

Many painful conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and Raynaud’s, can get much worse in cold weather. With energy costs still very high, staying warm at home can be a real challenge — and when you live with pain, you’re often spending most of your time indoors. Finding practical ways to stay warm isn’t just about comfort, it’s about managing your pain too.

How the Cold Weather Affects My Painful Conditions

We’re having another really cold spell here in the UK this week. I cannot abide the cold. In winter, you’ll normally find me huddled up in my armchair next to the radiator or in bed under my duvet.

Even a quick blast of cold air when I open the door for my dog can set my trigeminal neuralgia off. Cold makes my back stiffen, my muscles tense, and my sciatica flare up. My joints ache, and my hands and feet often feel as though they’re inside buckets of ice.

Cold weather really intensifies my painful conditions. The only thing that helps is warmth. If I can’t put the heating on as much as usual, I need to find other practical ways to stay warm.

Practical Ways to Stay Warm

So, what practical ways can we stay warm when the cold makes our pain worse? Here are some suggestions that will hopefully help you.

Heating Your Home

Many people are afraid to use their heating because of the cost, but sometimes it is necessary to turn it on. If the temperature is below zero, you will need to turn on your heating or you could risk your pipes freezing.

When you’re having a bath or a shower, if you can, do turn on your heating so you’re not going to be sitting in a cold room afterwards. That will chill your body even more than normal.

If you decide to put your heating on for a short time in the morning, put the clothes you’ll be wearing on the radiators. I do this, and it does make a difference when you put on warm clothes.

You could keep the heating on all the time with the thermostat at a low setting. This means that the heating will only cut on when the temperature drops below that setting.

Keeping your curtains, especially thermal-lined curtains, closed, can stop heat from escaping.

Another practical tip is to only turn the heating on in the rooms you are using.

Draught Exluders

To save energy while staying warm, consider using draught excluders. You can get them for your doors and windows.

Small, Energy-Efficient Heaters

If you don’t want to heat the entire house, consider a small, energy-efficient heater. These can quickly warm a single room or a corner where you sit most of the day. Always follow safety instructions, keep them away from flammable materials, and never leave them unattended.

Practical Clothing to Help You Stay Warm

If you won’t be using your heating as much as normal, you’ll need to find other ways to keep warm. Wearing the right clothes makes a huge difference. I have written a more detailed post about clothing. Please click here to read it.

Wear Thermal Base Layers

I’m not ashamed to say that I dig out my thermals from the bottom of my wardrobe. Thermal base layers aren’t just for hiking adventures. Natural fibres like silk or merino wool are often considered the best for keeping warm, but they can be expensive. There are plenty of synthetic alternatives that are more budget-friendly and still very effective. Some even have a soft fleece lining, which I find really cosy.

Hands and Feet

My hands tend to feel cold all the time, so I often wear gloves inside the house. Some gloves are even designed to work with touchscreens, which is really handy.

I also make sure my feet are warm by wearing thermal socks and slippers indoors. There’s a huge variety out there, but my favourite socks are Heatholders. I recently treated myself to a new pair. For extra warmth, I wear slipper boots as well.

If you’re wearing slippers in the house, make sure they fit well and have non-slip soles, especially if you have mobility or health issues.

Head and Face

If any part of my body is exposed to the cold, it makes everything else feel colder—but if my head or face feels cold, my facial pain can go into overdrive. To prevent that, I often wear a snood or scarf and a fleece hat indoors. Yes, I might look as though I’m about to set off on an Antarctic expedition, but staying warm is worth it!

’ve written a post with ideas for keeping your face warm, which you might find useful.

How to Stop Cold Weather Affecting Your Face

Heated Clothing

I have a body belt and a neck warmer that can be heated in the microwave. Microwavable heat packs are excellent for a quick boost of warmth. There are also battery-operated heated clothing options, like vests and socks, which can be really handy if you need extra heat for longer periods.

Other Practical Ways to Stay Warm

Here are a few more ideas:

Handwarmers

I don’t know where I’d be without my hand warmers!

Reusable hand warmers are fantastic little helpers. They’re simple, practical, and can warm more than just your hands.

There are electric rechargeable versions, but I personally prefer the gel-filled type. They’re fairly cheap, reusable, and versatile. Because of the gel, they can mould to fit any part of your body—not just your hands. I often place a hand warmer on my face. You can secure them anywhere with a scarf, and they give heat for about an hour.

I have quite a few ready-to-use, and a bag waiting to be “revived.” Once several need recharging, I simply simmer them in a pan of water for about 10 minutes, and they’re good to go again.

Don’t Forget the Humble Hot Water Bottle

How can I not mention hot water bottles? They come in all shapes and sizes and are ideal for heating you up. Just watch out though – if they are too hot, they can scald you badly. Also, be careful if you have an older one as the rubber can perish. Always check it before use and never use it if it feels hard or brittle as it could burst. A burst hot water bottle could lead to severe burns.

There is a manufacturing date on hot water bottles. You’ll see a little flower design on it with a number to indicate the year and month it was made. It is thought that you should no longer use it if it is over three years old even if, externally, it looks in good condition.

Get Under the Covers

Snuggling under the duvet and hibernating for the winter sounds appealing, doesn’t it? I prefer brushed cotton sheets, pillowcases, and duvet sets because they feel warmer. The only downside is that they take longer to dry after washing.

We managed for years without an electric blanket, but we’ve changed our minds. They’re so cheap to run. Once you have an electric blanket or throw, you might find it hard to go without one, and they use very little electricity. If you share a bed, choose one with dual controls so both people can be comfortable.

Safety is key: never leave electric blankets on indefinitely and never fold them while switched on.

Try to Keep Moving – If You Can

I’m definitely not suggesting star jumps to stay warm—if you’re already in pain, that could easily lead to a trip to A&E! Instead, try to wander about your home whenever you can to help boost circulation. When you’re sitting, wiggle your fingers and toes and rotate your feet in circles. Even small movements are better than none at all.

Keeping your body moving, even gently, will help you stay warmer and more comfortable during cold days.

Hot Food and Drinks

Eating hot meals and drinking warm beverages can really help your body stay warm. Here are a few quick tips—see my full post on cooking with pain for more ideas:

• One-pot meals or slow cooker recipes make life easier and save energy.
• Use a thermal flask for hot drinks.
• Cook in bulk and freeze individual portions.

Stay Warm

Painful conditions and cold weather really don’t mix well so I hope some of these ideas might help you to cope on chillier days. If you have any other ideas, please do share them in the comments.

Thank you so much for reading.

If this post resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
And feel free to share it with your friends or support groups.
Take care,
Liz.

Subscribe to my blog and follow me on my social media accounts to keep up to date with new posts:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• YouTube
• Pinterest

Take care and stay warm.