# Cold=More Pain. Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-more-pain-why/216078>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 30, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-more-pain-why/216078 "2003-11-30T17:32:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-more-pain-why/216078/1 "2003-11-30T17:32:25Z")

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As I was stumbling around my apartment last night–I keep it rather cold–I stubbed my toe. In the midst of my swearing, I noticed it hurt a lot more than usual. And I remembered the halcyon days of my youth, playing football on the playground, and I remembered that while a zinger of a throw might sting some, in the cold it hurts like crazy. So why does the temperature make it hurt more?

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**Author:** ![A\_Curious\_Writer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@A\_Curious\_Writer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Curious_Writer)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-more-pain-why/216078/2 "2003-11-30T20:38:42Z")

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Two thoughts, both related to the fact heat expands and cold contracts.

First, any object, like a football, is likely to feel harder in the snow and cold, because the surface condenses slightly. There’s not the give there is when a surface is warm.

Second, this is moer speculative, but I would think nerve endings would also tend to get that way, contracting slightly.It explains why an older person’s arthritis will act up, telling them when it’s going to rain, etc.

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**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-more-pain-why/216078/3 "2003-11-30T21:11:10Z")

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Remember ever swinging a bat in the cold? Ouch.

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**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-more-pain-why/216078/4 "2003-12-01T00:30:59Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ParentalAdvisory \*  
> \*\*Remember ever swinging a bat in the cold? Ouch. \*\*

Oooh, yea. And I remember playing softball in PE, catching bare-handed. OUCH!