In the depths of winter, it’s common to notice changes in our bodies that go beyond just feeling cold or more tired. Pain can feel more intense, joint stiffness may linger longer, and stress seems harder to shake. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Reduced daylight can significantly impact the nervous system, how we respond to stress, and how our bodies experience pain. In my holistic physical therapy practice, I see this seasonal shift affect many of my clients. This can be especially pronounced for those living with chronic pain or muscle tension.
By gaining a deeper understanding of the connection between daylight, stress, and pain, we can manage these symptoms more effectively and compassionately.
How Reduced Daylight Affects the Body
Light plays a crucial role in regulating our circadian rhythm. This is the internal clock that influences our sleep habits, energy levels, hormone production, and mood. During fall and winter in the Seacoast, shorter days and reduced sunlight exposure can greatly impact this rhythm.
When daylight decreases, it's common to experience sleep disturbances, fatigue, and brain fog. Changes in serotonin and melatonin levels can negatively impact our mood.
These changes also influence how sensitive our nervous systems become to pain. When sleep and circadian rhythms are disrupted, the brain can amplify pain signals, making discomfort feel more intense and persistent.
Stress and the Nervous System’s Role in Chronic Pain
Our ability to manage stress can have a dramatic effect on our experiences with pain. When our sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” response) is triggered, it leads to a cascade of changes in our physiology. When this happens as it was evolutionarily intended (in short spurts as a response to active threats to our survival), it can be the difference between life and death. And in these cases, there are no long term negative consequences to our health and well-being. When our nervous systems are well balanced, we can shift back into a parasympathetic-dominant state without issue once the threat is removed (our “rest and digest” baseline, where our bodies can regenerate and heal).
Unfortunately, our modern societies can create an environment where this relationship gets out of balance, especially surrounding the chaos of the holidays. Situations that aren’t necessarily dangerous, but feel overwhelming and stressful, can cause the sympathetic nervous system to turn on unnecessarily. When this happens frequently and for prolonged periods of time, it changes the way we interact with our internal and external environments.
This can cause pain signals to be amplified, leading to increased sensitivity to movement and activity, increased muscle tension, and changes with circulation. The combination of these variables can impair the ability of our tissues to heal properly.
Over time, the nervous system can become stuck in this heightened state, even when no tissue damage is present. This is a common pattern we see in clients with chronic pain.
Why Pain Often Feels Worse in Fall and Winter
In Portsmouth and throughout the Seacoast region, colder months often bring lifestyle shifts that can unintentionally worsen pain. Less outdoor movement and walking leads to reduced exposure to natural daylight, and often goes hand in hand with more sedentary time in indoor spaces. Increased social and professional responsibilities surrounding the holidays and year-end requirements can make it more difficult to effectively manage our stress levels.
Combined with disrupted sleep, these factors can overload the nervous system, making pain harder to manage. For many people, pain flares up during winter because of the cumulative stress on the body and brain (not because of a new injury or trauma).
Practical Ways to Support Your Body During the Dark Season
1. Prioritize Gentle, Consistent Movement
Movement helps regulate the nervous system and improves circulation, even when energy feels low. Consider gentle mobility work, a restorative yoga class, or short walks outside (don’t forget your microspikes!). The key is to find something that feels manageable to stick with on a regular basis. Your body and mind will thank you.
2. Increase Daylight Exposure
Natural light supports circadian rhythm regulation, which improves mood and sleep. This is especially helpful to do in the morning, shortly after you wake up. Even when it’s cloudy, we’re exposed to enough sunlight to make a meaningful difference.
3. Support the Nervous System
Breathwork, mindfulness practices, self myofascial release, and hands-on manual therapy can help shift the body out of a stress response. These techniques calm the nervous system and create an optimal environment for healing.
4. Focus on Sleep and Recovery
Consistent sleep and wake times, reduced screen use at night, and calming evening routines help improve sleep quality. Better sleep supports pain regulation and stress resilience.
A Different Approach to Addressing Pain
At Ebb and Flow Rehabilitation, we take a holistic approach to physical therapy. We recognize that pain is rarely just a structural issue. Instead, it’s influenced by movement patterns, nervous system regulation, stress levels, sleep quality, and overall well-being.
We utilize a multifaceted, whole-person approach to address chronic pain. Our targeted strategies include:
- Reducing pain sensitivity through corrective exercise and hands-on bodywork
- Improving movement confidence through progressive return to activity
- Regulating nervous system responses through mindfulness and breathwork
- Building sustainable strategies for long-term relief
Each treatment plan is personalized, taking into account not only your physical symptoms, but also how your body responds to stress, seasonal changes, exercise, and daily demands.
When to Seek Support
It can be difficult to know when to ask for help. If your pain has been lingering for longer than a week, doesn’t show signs of improvement with rest, or doesn’t allow you to complete your daily tasks or exercise routine, it’s likely a good time to seek professional support.
In some cases, just a few easy tweaks to your routine can be the difference between having pain and not. The important piece is finding the right combination or strategies to address your symptoms holistically, and in a way that feels sustainable for you.
Finding Balance Through the Darker Months
Seasonal changes are a natural part of life in New England, and learning to tune in to the ebbs and flows of nature can leave us feeling even more connected. By addressing movement, light exposure, stress, and nervous system regulation, I hope you’ll find more ease with navigating these darker months.
The way that we can best support our bodies changes with the seasons. If you’re experiencing chronic pain or stress-related symptoms, I invite you to reach out and learn how a holistic physical therapy approach can help you feel more at peace in your body.
