Yes, we live in Pittsburgh, and it gets cold…

Sounds pretty basic right?

Well, walk around any college campus in Pittsburgh and you will wonder if the reality has set in. You will see an array of sites from people walking around without a winter coat, to those wearing flip flops and shorts.

No, I am not becoming the fashion police by any means, and on multiple occasions I have stepped outside without watching the weather report, but this lack of attention does concern me for an individual’s well-being when I see them dressed improperly.

The fact is that for the past 10 years my experience has shown time and time again the results that come from not dressing properly this time of year. I often see an increased number of individuals complaining of tense muscles and frequent headaches.

Maybe this poor judgment comes from some deep desire to will sunshine and warm weather or the belief that if you choose to ignore something that it will go away. Whatever the reason, the majority of individuals will still end up with their body yelling at them for living in a fantasy.

The fact of the matter is that while there is a lot of truth to the ability to impact your surroundings with your beliefs there are a few things that your body still has a strong will over, such as keeping you alive…

Now, most likely you will not die just because you did not wear a scarf, however your body is designed to keep the organs, at the core of your body, warm first and foremost. If your neck, hands or feet are exposed to the cold weather the brain will not think twice about moving it's main awareness to providing blood flow to the brain, heart and lungs. This response will trigger your muscles to tremble and shiver in an attempt to create more body heat, while at the same time tensing the muscles in the exposed area to limit the amount of necessary blood flow.

So, you may think that your short walk from work to your car or from your car to the restaurant will not make a big difference, but the reality is your muscles will pay the price. That oh so common response of pulling your shoulders to your ears in a hopeless attempt to stay warm will likely cause more problems than you realize. If ignored the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and jaw are likely to hold onto more tension than other times of the year even if you are under less stress. If this tension is disregarded often times things called trigger points, or "knots" will result in the muscles. These hyper-irritable spots can cause pain and fatigue in the area or refer pain to other areas of the body such as the temples, forehead, and between your shoulder blades.

So this year, as the weather gets colder, make sure to layer up and add a warm winter scarf. Keeping the muscles in your neck warm will help to keep you from tensing up, resulting in pain, fatigue and

headaches.