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NSIA offers startups $1.5m growth capital

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has opened a pathway for Nigerian startups to access up to $1.5 million in growth capital as part of efforts to help innovative businesses expand their operations attract investment and create jobs.

The funding opportunity to be accessed through the Pula Xcelerator forms part of the expanded support package under the fourth edition of the NSIA Prize for Innovation (NPI 4.0) which has awarded a combined $275000 in prizes to outstanding Nigerian startups.

At the centre of the competition Come Again Foods a Nigerian company that produces packaged snacks from locally sourced agricultural products emerged as the overall winner securing a combined prize worth $100000.

Protein Kapital which produces protein and biofertilisers by using insects to process organic waste came second with a prize package worth $70000 while Instant Rad Inc. an artificial intelligence-powered platform that connects hospitals and diagnostic centres with radiologists across Africa placed third with $50000.

The NSIA said the additional growth capital opportunity alongside business development training and access to investors is intended to help promising businesses move beyond winning competitions to building stronger companies capable of expanding across Nigeria and other markets.

Under the programme eligible winners will also participate in a fully funded entrepreneurial development programme at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) Lagos.

The training will cover business planning leadership corporate governance financial management market expansion and preparation for attracting investors.

The fourth edition of the competition themed Building for Impact attracted about 6000 applications from which 12 startups were selected to present their businesses before a panel of experts drawn from Nigeria’s business investment and innovation sectors.

The competition concentrated on manufacturing climate and food security and healthcare reflecting the NSIA’s interest in supporting businesses that can address major challenges while contributing to economic growth.

The combined $275000 prize money comprised $220000 provided by the NSIA $45000 from Cascador and $10000 from Wema Bank.

Beyond the three leading companies Eight Medical and Uwana Energy received $15000 each in Cascador cash prizes.

Sambal Enterprises Come Again Foods and Ebees Green also received $5000 each under Cascador’s impact awards while Eight Medical Smartel AgriTech and Ryctor secured $4000 each from Wema Bank.

Speaking at the Demo Day the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSIA Aminu Umar-Sadiq said the quality of the businesses presented showed that Nigeria had a growing pool of entrepreneurs capable of developing practical solutions to economic and social problems.

He said the authority was interested in helping innovators build businesses that could survive attract investment and expand beyond their initial markets.

‘Through the NSIA Prize for Innovation we are not only recognising promising ideas; we are creating pathways for entrepreneurs to access the capital capabilities networks and partnerships needed to build sustainable scalable businesses’ Umar-Sadiq said.

He said the expanded opportunities under the latest edition were designed to give participating businesses more than financial rewards by providing the resources and professional support required to grow.

‘The evolution of NPI 4.0 and the expanded opportunities created through our partners reinforce our commitment to supporting Nigerian innovators developing practical solutions to critical challenges’ he said.

Umar-Sadiq congratulated the winners and finalists expressing the expectation that their businesses would grow employ more Nigerians and deliver economic and social benefits.

The latest edition builds on the NSIA’s efforts to use innovation funding and business development support to encourage entrepreneurship across the country.

According to the authority the first three editions of the programme attracted more than 20000 applications from startups across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The participating businesses operated in different sectors including financial technology agriculture healthcare education transportation and logistics.

Through the programme the NSIA provides funding technical assistance mentorship business training and connections with strategic partners to help entrepreneurs improve their business models and prepare for investment.

The fourth edition introduced a more focused approach by concentrating on manufacturing climate and food security and healthcare sectors considered important to strengthening Nigeria’s productive capacity improving livelihoods and creating employment opportunities.

The authority said the programme was designed to take participating businesses through several stages rather than simply reward winners at a pitching event.

These include application and screening an accelerator programme a preliminary pitching exercise the final Demo Day and post-competition support.

During the accelerator stage selected businesses receive intensive training and guidance to improve their products business plans and ability to attract investors.

The shortlisted companies subsequently present their solutions at the Mini Demo Day before the final contestants pitch to an expert panel.

After the competition winners and eligible finalists can proceed to further training mentorship investor engagement and funding opportunities through the NSIA and its partners.

The authority said the approach was intended to help Nigerian entrepreneurs turn promising ideas into established businesses capable of operating profitably expanding their reach and contributing to the country’s long-term economic development.

FG moves to strengthen digital health data management

The federal government is stepping up efforts to improve health data management by strengthening the digital skills of health information professionals and ensuring that qualified officers are responsible for managing records in health care facilities.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Records Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Babagana Mustapha, said this was necessary to prepare health information management graduates for the increasing use of digital technology in Nigeria’s health care system.

Mustapha spoke in Abuja at a two-day retreat and training on the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) for tutors across health information management training institutions.

He said the training was designed to improve tutors’ practical knowledge of digital health systems and ensure that students acquired the skills required for effective health data collection, analysis, reporting and utilisation.

The registrar urged heads of departments and coordinators to ensure that the knowledge gained during the exercise was shared with other tutors and integrated into teaching activities.

He also called for improved digital learning facilities, continuous professional development and adherence to data confidentiality, information security and professional ethics.

Representing the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Anthony Adoge said the government would continue to support efforts to position licensed Health Information Management (HIM) officers at the centre of health care data management.

Adoge urged the council to recommend that all public and private health facilities employ licensed health records officers to manage their records departments, regardless of whether they had adopted digital systems.

He also pledged that only licensed HIM officers would be engaged as enumerators during the mini Demographic and Health Survey scheduled for 2027.

According to him, the ministry had deployed laptops to 6,000 primary health care centres on the condition that states provide evidence that licensed HIM officers were managing health data in the facilities.

He said more than 5,000 primary health care centres had been digitalised within six months, while about 11,000 of Nigeria’s 37,000 health facilities were using electronic medical record systems.

Adoge said the government wanted health information professionals to develop competencies that could meet international standards and enable them to interpret data for effective health care planning and decision-making.

He warned professionals against surrendering their responsibilities to technology vendors, stressing that qualified health information officers must remain central to the management and interpretation of patients’ data.

Also speaking, Dr Chizora Opara of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, said reliable data was critical to achieving Nigeria’s target of ending open defecation by 2030.

Opara said the National Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign, launched in 2019, had recorded 184 local government areas as open-defecation-free.

PAFFREL warns new security, organised crime Bills threaten rights

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to review two proposed laws to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and tackle organised crime, warning that they could undermine fundamental rights.

In a letter to the President dated yesterday, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarchchi called for a thorough review of the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill before they are enacted. While welcoming the Government’s commitment to repeal the PTA, he said the Bills contained provisions that could threaten civil liberties, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right to association.

The letter recalled the National People’s Power (NPP) election manifesto pledge to repeal oppressive laws, including the PTA, and guarantee civil rights. It also cited Sri Lanka’s commitments under the European Union’s GSP+ trade concession scheme and United Nations human rights benchmarks set in 2021, stressing that counter-terrorism legislation must comply with international human rights standards.

On the terrorism Bill, PAFFREL said the broad definition of terrorism under Article 3, particularly provisions referring to significant economic harm, could bring peaceful protests, trade union activities and humanitarian assistance within the scope of terrorist offences. It warned that vague terms in Article 8, such as ‘obstruction’ and ‘interference’, could allow non-terrorist activities to be treated as terrorism, while Article 10’s definition of terrorist publications could restrict calls for peaceful gatherings. Article 15 was criticised for criminalising the failure to provide information without adequately distinguishing intentional withholding from other circumstances.

PAFFREL also raised concerns over expanded enforcement powers. Article 19 would give the armed forces and Coast Guard warrantless arrest powers, removing safeguards that previously required senior police oversight, while Article 26 would allow the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence to issue detention orders of up to one year without effective judicial supervision.

The letter further questioned restrictions on judicial oversight of evidence submitted to the Government Analyst under Article 49, and said Article 39, which gives the Minister power to appoint an independent detention review committee, could compromise the committee’s independence. Under Article 61, the Defence Secretary could declare any location a prohibited place, while senior police officers could obtain court orders restricting individuals’ movements and communications for up to three months.

On the organised crime Bill, PAFFREL warned that relatively minor offences, including intellectual property violations, excise offences and forestry-related breaches, could be classified as serious organised crimes. It also questioned provisions allowing executive detention orders of up to one year, cautioned that the law’s broad scope could be used against trade unions and civil society organisations, and said making confessions to police officers admissible as evidence could undermine the right to a fair trial.

While acknowledging the Government’s responsibility to protect national security and combat terrorism and organised crime, Hettiarchchi urged the President to reconsider both Bills and ensure adequate safeguards against abuse of power. PAFFREL said legislation introduced in the name of national security must not compromise democratic freedoms, fundamental rights or the Government’s commitment to dismantling oppressive laws.

Margaret Qualley, Jack Antonoff file for divorce after 3 years of marriage

Actor Margaret Qualley and Grammy winner Jack Antonoff have filed for divorce after three years of marriage, according to court records.

The case was filed Friday, Oct. 30, in Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York, and is listed as an uncontested matrimonial action. Qualley is listed as the plaintiff, and Antonoff as the defendant.

Attorneys for Qualley and Antonoff did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The couple separated in July.

Qualley, 32, is an actor known for films including ‘The Substance’ and ‘Once upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Antonoff, 42, is a 14-time Grammy-winning songwriter and producer who has worked with artists including Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Sabrina Carpenter. He is also a member of the band Bleachers.

The couple began dating in 2021 and married in August 2023.

We must give our children confidence, capability to be part of digital future – Awolowo Dosumu

It is a pleasure to welcome you to this year’s Byte Busters Coding Club Showcase, and to celebrate once again the energy, imagination and promise of our young people.

When we gathered for the inaugural Showcase last year, we were witnessing the early fruits of an ambitious idea. Today, that idea has grown in reach, confidence and substance. Byte Busters now operates across all six South-West states, and the quality of the projects before us shows clearly that our students are not merely learning how to use technology, they are learning how to think with it, build with it, and apply it to problems that affect their schools, families and communities.

That distinction is important.

Our young people are growing up in a world in which artificial intelligence, digital platforms and new technologies will shape how they learn, work, communicate and create. It is therefore not enough for them to become passive users of technologies developed elsewhere. We must give them the confidence and capability to participate actively in shaping the digital future.

This is the purpose that sits at the heart of the DEFINED Project.

I wish to commend Professor Seun Kolade, Project Director, for the clarity of vision and sustained leadership he continues to bring to this work. I also congratulate the Assistant Project Manager, Temilorun Okediji and the DEFINED Project team, our Project Assistants, ICT teachers, our fantastic college of mentors, school leaders and all those working quietly behind the scenes across the various centres. The progress we celebrate today is the result of their collective persistence, creativity and commitment.

I am especially delighted by the continued expansion of the programme and by the increasing sophistication of the projects being developed by the students. From applications addressing learning and accessibility to ideas connected with agriculture, commerce, public safety and indigenous language, these young people are showing us what becomes possible when talent is given opportunity.

The Foundation has also widened its approach through the Digital Literacy Training for Teachers programme, recognising that sustainable transformation in education must include those who stand in our classrooms every day. By equipping teachers with practical digital skills and using a Train-the-Trainer model, we are building capacity that can multiply far beyond the first cohort.

Yet we must not become satisfied too quickly.

The success of Byte Busters should strengthen our determination to reach more pupils, particularly in under-served communities. There are many more children across our region with the same curiosity and potential as those presenting here today. What they need is access.

I therefore call on our six owner states, corporate partners, philanthropists, old students’ associations and friends of the Foundation to deepen their support for this work. The task before us is one of scale, continuity and shared responsibility.

To our Byte Busters, I say this: keep learning, keep experimenting and keep believing in what you can build.

Proper hygiene urged as Tacloban schools record 704 cases of sore eyes

At least 704 cases of sore eyes, or conjunctivitis, were recorded in nine schools in Tacloban City from Oct. 1 to 15, prompting health officials and school administrators to remind students and teachers to observe proper hygiene and avoid spreading the infection.

Data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the City Health Office showed that most of those affected were students and teachers.

Ridgeview Park Integrated School recorded the highest number of cases at 315, followed by Leyte National High School with 116, San Fernando Central School with 78, New Hope Elementary School with 56, and Sto. Niño Special Education (SPED) Center with 46.

The remaining 93 cases were reported in four other schools.

The number of sore eyes cases in the city is expected to increase as other schools have also reported of such cases.

School administrators have advised students and personnel experiencing symptoms to stay home temporarily to prevent further transmission.

The Department of Health (DOH)-Eastern Visayas warned that conjunctivitis is a contagious eye infection characterized by redness, swelling, itching, excessive tearing, and discharge.

The infection can spread through direct contact with eye secretions, contaminated hands and objects, and sharing personal belongings such as towels, handkerchiefs, pillows, and cosmetics.

The DOH advised the public to wash their hands regularly, avoid touching or rubbing their eyes, and refrain from sharing personal items.

Those experiencing eye redness, swelling, itching, or discharge were advised to seek medical consultation at the nearest health center.

People with symptoms should also avoid crowded places and refrain from wearing contact lenses until their condition improves. Health officials particularly urged parents to monitor children for symptoms and prevent them from attending school while experiencing the infection.

2027: Abejide targets 2m votes for Tinubu in Kano, empowers Yoruba, Ebira, Igala communities

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leke Abejide, has challenged Yoruba and other non-indigenous communities in Kano state to mobilise at least two million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Abejide made the call on Saturday during the 2026/2027 Kano State Empowerment Programme organised by the Leke Abejide Foundation, where hundreds of millions of naira worth of financial and material support were unveiled for women, widows and other beneficiaries from Yoruba, Ebira and Igala communities resident in the state.

The lawmaker, who represents Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, said the beneficiaries were drawn from Yoruba communities originating from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states, as well as the Ebira and Igala ethnic groups of Kogi State.

Abejide, who is also the Asiwaju of Yoruba people in Kano, explained that the decision to extend his foundation’s empowerment initiative to Kano was informed by his longstanding relationship with the people, having lived and conducted business in the state for about 34 years.

He said the intervention was designed to provide sustainable economic opportunities and lift beneficiaries out of poverty through business support, rather than relying on temporary handouts.

The lawmaker disclosed that the foundation had earmarked N500 million for interest-free loans to women organised into cooperative societies, including widows and other businesswomen, to strengthen their businesses and improve their economic independence.

He also announced the distribution of food items, clothing and direct financial assistance to widows, assuring beneficiaries that the programme would continue beyond the 2027 general elections.

‘The era of our women going to borrow from financial institutions with interest they cannot pay is over for good. As long as you are a serious businesswoman resident here in Kano, your season of dryness is over by the grace of God,’ he said.

To ensure accountability and sustainability, Abejide said the foundation had established a monitoring mechanism to track the loans and ensure repayment. He warned that beneficiaries who failed to fulfil their repayment obligations would not qualify for subsequent rounds of the scheme.

He further disclosed plans to introduce a separate empowerment programme for youths and male entrepreneurs, particularly unemployed young people, to equip them with the resources and opportunities needed to become self-reliant.

However, Abejide urged the beneficiaries and the wider non-indigenous communities to translate their appreciation of the intervention into political participation, calling for massive support for President Tinubu and all APC candidates in 2027.

‘I am not just here to spend my hard-earned resources but I am soliciting for your support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Do not treat the election as a party affair but as a collective responsibility,’ he said.

Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who attended the event, expressed dissatisfaction with the nearly 500,000 votes President Tinubu received in Kano State during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the voting strength of non-indigenous communities in the state should not be underestimated.

He challenged the Yoruba and other ethnic communities to consolidate their political participation and work towards delivering a higher number of votes in the 2027 elections.

‘Your voting population in Kano delivered nearly 500,000 votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last presidential election. That performance was not satisfactory, and we must do better this time,’ Bello said.

The former governor expressed confidence in Abejide’s mobilisation capacity, saying he expected the lawmaker to mobilise at least two million votes for Tinubu in the next presidential election.

‘I am convinced that the votes he mobilises for Mr President should not be less than two million, if not more. And this should not be limited to the presidential election. We must also work for all APC candidates, from the President to the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly,’ he added.

Bello also appealed to Nigerians, particularly those in the North, to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, arguing that the president should be allowed to complete two terms in office in the interest of political stability.

BSP: Oct inflation could top 8%

Consumer price growth may have accelerated to a more than three-year high in October, potentially breaching 8 percent as higher domestic energy prices and transport fares drove up the cost of living.

In a statement on Friday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said inflation likely ranged from 7.1 percent to 8.1 percent during the month.

The lower end of the forecast suggested that inflation may have eased slightly from September’s 7.2 percent.

But the upper end pointed to a possible acceleration to its fastest pace since February 2023, when inflation reached 8.6 percent.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will release the October inflation data on Nov. 5.

‘Upward price pressures are likely to come from higher prices of domestic fuel, electricity and transport fares,’ the central bank said.

‘These pressures could be partially offset by lower prices of key agricultural commodities, such as rice, vegetables, meat and fish, owing to favorable supply conditions,’ it added.

On Oct. 22, a ‘strong majority’ of the BSP’s Monetary Board decided to raise the policy rate by half a percentage point to 5.5 percent, citing the need for a stronger response to stubbornly high inflation.

The move surprised markets, with only two of the 20 economists polled by the Inquirer having anticipated an increase of that size.

The BSP expects inflation to average 6.1 percent this year, considerably above its 3-percent target.

It further raised its inflation forecast for 2027 to 6 percent from 5.4 percent, though it expects price growth to ease to 3.3 percent in 2028.

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said policymakers were concerned about elevated oil prices, the risk of sharp wage increases and potential food supply disruptions stemming from the ongoing El Niño episode.

A weakening peso was another concern, he said, as a sharp depreciation could add to inflationary pressures.

Remolona said growth could recover by the first quarter of 2027.

The Philippine economy expanded by just 2.6 percent in the first half of this year, weighed down by a major corruption scandal and a war-driven surge in prices. ‘The BSP will remain vigilant and guided by incoming data, particularly on inflation and growth prospects,’ the central bank said. ‘It will continue to assess the impact of the latest developments in the Middle East on the country’s inflation and economic outlook.’

Managing chronic pain in cold weather

Every year as the amihan sets in and the cooler breeze rolls across the country, senior citizens complain of joints that ache more than they did a few weeks ago during the humid months.

In the West, every autumn, the same thing happens: elderly patients arrive in clinics describing joints that ache more than they did a month ago. Their hands are stiffer in the morning. Their knees complain on the stairs. They are not imagining it, and they are not being dramatic.

Dr. Christopher Murawski, an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University, said: ‘Warm weather, cold weather, changes in humidity, changes in pressure- they can all contribute to joint and muscle pain.’

Here’s a look at the mechanisms behind cold-weather flare-ups, the movement and warmth strategies that genuinely help, and the signals that mean it’s time to call a doctor.

Why stiffness climbs as the temperature falls

The best-supported explanation involves barometric pressure-the weight of the air pressing on the body, roughly 15 pounds per square inch. When cold wind approaches, that pressure falls, and the tissues around joints respond.

‘While the science isn’t perfect, physiologically it makes some sense,’ Murawski says. ‘Changes in pressure can cause muscles and ligaments to expand. Fluid shifts can happen. That can lead to swelling and pain.’ He adds that the reports line up with what patients describe, ‘even anecdotally.’

Dr. Andrew Bang, a chiropractor at Cleveland Clinic, puts the same idea in blunter terms. ‘If you have arthritis, the space in your joint is already reduced. Add in an expansion of tissues because of the pressure change and you can see why people might hurt more.’ A large UK study of 13,000 people with arthritis found aches rose on days with high humidity, low barometric pressure and strong wind-though other studies find only a mild link, which is why researchers still describe the relationship as real but incompletely explained.

Cold adds its own layer. Synovial fluid, the lubricant inside every joint, thickens. ‘When the weather gets cooler, the synovial fluid that acts like motor oil in our joints becomes more like sludge,’ says Dr. Mariko Ishimori, a rheumatologist at Cedars-Sinai. Muscles guard and tighten, restricting blood flow and shortening the tissues that cross the joint. Cartilage, which has no blood supply of its own, tolerates temperature swings poorly.

Then there’s behavior. Cold days mean fewer walks, longer sits, and a house that suddenly feels worth hibernating in. Joints that don’t move get stiffer, and the Arthritis Foundation notes that people may also fixate more on pain when outdoor distractions disappear.

Gentle stretching that earns its keep

Motion is the single most reliable antidote to stiffness, and it costs nothing. ‘Motion is lotion,’ Bang says. ‘If you keep moving, you’re less likely to get some of these aches.’

The rules are simple: warm the tissue first, move slowly, never bounce, and stop at the edge of discomfort rather than pushing through it. Ishimori recommends prioritizing stretching before exercise, when muscles are cold and most vulnerable.

Start in bed, before your feet hit the floor. The Arthritis Foundation’s ‘Good Morning Moves’ routine is a safe template: lie on your back and reach arms and legs wide (Morning Star), hug your knees to your chest, then perform a gentle supine spinal twist-each held for three to five slow breaths. If hip or back arthritis makes double knee hugs hard, do one leg at a time.

For a guided follow-along, Arthritis UK’s physiotherapist-led series is excellent and free. The morning routine, daytime routine and evening routine each run 20 minutes and are built specifically for people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. Many movements can be done seated. The Arthritis Foundation also offers a short 16-move morning bed stretch video for days when 20 minutes is too much.

Aim for range of motion rather than a deep stretch: slow circles at the shoulders, wrist and ankle pumps, gentle knee extensions, seated torso rotations. Ten minutes daily beats an ambitious hour once a week.

Warmth, used deliberately

Heat raises blood flow and relaxes the guarding that makes joints feel locked. ‘If you can get heat to penetrate areas where you have pain, you increase blood flow and can loosen up tight ligaments, tendons and connective tissue,’ Bang says.

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Practical version during the amihan season: layer up even when staying indoors, because a chilly, drafty room stiffens muscles just as effectively as the cool morning air outside. Keep a cozy blanket or kumot close by, or use a heating pad before getting out of bed so your joints are already loosened when you wake.

For targeted relief, use moist heat-a warm damp towel or a microwave-heated wet washcloth inside a sealed bag-for 15 to 20 minutes per session, with a cloth barrier between heat and skin. Don’t fall asleep on a pad, and check the skin periodically for excessive redness. If you have reduced sensation from diabetes or neuropathy, lower the setting.

Protect the extremities. Dr. Linda Russell, a rheumatologist at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, recommends long underwear-particularly important because cold can trigger blood vessel spasms in the roughly 12 percent of the elderly with rheumatoid arthritis who also have Raynaud’s phenomenon. Warm water is also the friendliest environment for exercise: a heated pool lets you move through full range with almost no load on the joints.

Two supporting habits matter more than most people expect. Drink water-dehydration thickens everything, including joint fluid.

When to stop self-managing and call someone

Weather-related aches follow a pattern: worse in the cold, better with warmth and movement, and no worse than usual once you’re going. Pain that breaks the pattern deserves attention.

Mayo Clinic advises booking an appointment for joint pain accompanied by swelling, redness, tenderness and warmth around the joint, or fever. Get seen promptly if an injury leaves the joint misshapen, unusable, severely painful or suddenly swollen. Morning stiffness lasting longer than 30 to 60 minutes is a recognized flag for inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, as is pain that wakes you at night, pain in several joints at once, or unexplained weight loss and fatigue.

Ishimori’s advice: discuss symptoms with a physician, ‘especially if the symptoms are new or haven’t been evaluated.’ Cold weather aggravates existing disease; it doesn’t create it.

The season is not something you can negotiate with. But the stiffness is-partly. Warm the joint, move it gently, and keep moving it. And when the pattern changes, let someone with a stethoscope look at it.