Can your joints predict the weather?

Dr. Lara Smythe

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! 

If you hadn’t yet noticed, winter has arrived with full force.   Since 'tis the season, I thought I'd discuss something largely affected by this bone-chilling weather. Our joints.

In addition to the usual chaos and holiday stresses that many of us experience at this time of year, a number of my patients have come to see me, complaining of increased joint pain.  Many of my patients have already guessed that their joint pains could be related to recent temperature decreases. But just how does cold weather influence our joints?  

It's no secret that the weather is always influencing our bodies. Whether we're getting sunburns, seasonal allergies, or gloomy weather depression,  our bodies are necessarily reacting and responding to seasonal variables.

Before we discuss how weather changes affect our joints specifically, let's address another culprit of joint pain: Arthritis.

We’ve all heard of it, but many of us aren't aware of the different types of arthritis, nor are we aware of predisposals for suffering from arthritis. One of the most common forms of arthritis is ‘Osteoarthritis’, and is also known as ‘degenerative arthritis’ or ‘degenerative joint disease’. Osteoarthritis occurs as the basic wear-and-tear on our joints, which further causes changes to our body's cartilage. Because cartilage acts to cushion and hydrate our joints, when the cartilage breaks down, the actual joint surfaces are affected – they can become narrowed, rough and uneven.  Sometimes these bony changes cause swelling, pain, deformity and loss of motion -- the symptoms of arthritis.

There are many different risk factors that increase our disposition for osteoarthritis. These factors include increased age, obesity and family genetics.   Other lifestyle choices can also play a role in our likelihood for arthritis including diet, previous injuries, and even occupation if it is physically demanding or highly repetitive. 

Interestingly, many arthritis sufferers feel their symptoms are further affected by changes in weather.  Some even indicate their ability to predict weather changes based on specific joint pains.

Most research in this area tells us that decreases in barometric pressure (associated with an approaching rain storm for example) can cause increased joint pain. On the other hand, researchers have found that arthritis sufferers have fewer pains in drier, hot climates.

 

One proposed explanation for this phenomenon is that the decrease in barometric pressure causes the expanding and swelling of our body's tissues.  This increased swelling in the joints can irritate the nerves that gives us the sensation of pain. So even though the integrity of our joints aren’t getting any worse, our symptoms worsen because we are experiencing more pain. 

Another possible explanation is that cold weather lowers our threshold for pain, and also our desire to be active during cold weather seasons. The decrese in activity and regular movement makes our arthritis more painful also.  

So, maybe all arthritis sufferers should move to Arizona? Plenty of hot and dry!

A lot of arthrtis sufferers have actually tried moving to climates that ease their joint pains, whereas others have even arranged pressure chambers for home treatments with increased barometric pressure in an attempt to minimize their symptoms.  Unfortunately, research suggests that our bodies will eventually adapt and normalize to whatever climate we are in. And at this point, there is no known relationship between climate and the onset or progression of arthritis.  Sadly, even the hot and dry Arizona, like all other cities, is home to many arthritis sufferers too.  

So what can we do?

If you suffer from arthritis, I recommend recording your symptoms in a journal. By tracking details, you'll likely notice a weather-related pattern, or other influencing factors like activity levels or diet that affect your disposition for pain.   It's important to get your joint pain assessed too.  Your health care practitioner can do a thorough physical exam to assess your range of motion, strength and functioning, and perhaps perform an X-ray to assess the surfaces of your joints.  I find that my patients prefer to be as aware as possible about how they can personally ease and soothe their joints.

So can we predict this week's weather with our joints? Perhaps with practice.

Maybe with similar practice, we'll learn to predict what awaits us under the tree, too. 

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Dr. Lara