Some folks swear that weather and pain go hand-in-hand. Whether it’s your neighbor’s theory that her joints ache thanks to the humidity, or your friend’s strong belief that her back pain due to cold weather, is not a joke, many people claim to be sensitive to weather changes.
But is there any science to back up these weather change symptoms?
Weather Change Symptoms: Fact Or Fiction?
Are you suffering from one of these conditions?
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Arthritis
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Back Pain
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Neck Pain
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Joint Pain
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Headaches
If you answered yes, you may be one of many people who claim that your pain or health issues are related to weather changes.
Maybe There’s A Reason You’re Sensitive To Weather Changes
One theory is that anxiety may be a factor for those who claim weather is wreaking havoc on their bodies.
Another theory states that air pressure may be the cause of the increase in reported pain symptoms. When air pressure decreases, there may be increased pressure on your joints because your tissues may swell due to this decrease, annoying your nerves or causing your nerves to respond unfavorably. This swelling and irritation could theoretically, cause more pain.
A third theory that has nothing but basic common sense to back it up is: weather affects your mood and activity levels. Think about it: How do you feel during a rainstorm? A snowstorm? Humid weather? Cold freezes? Scorching temps?
You could feel anything from depressed to isolated to irritable and angry. Temperature and weather affects our moods. It affects our activity levels too.
For some people who don’t go to a gym all year-round, when the weather is bad, their exercise time decreases.
When the weather is nice, people are more apt to walk, bike ride, rollerblade or enjoy other physical activities that help keep bodies healthy. With exercise, your body will be more flexible, conditioned and strong. A lack of activity can cause stiff joints, less flexibility and more pain. Not to mention, a lack of exercise can cause weight gain, and weight gain is not friendly to our joints!
So, if you are one of the many people who are certain weather is impacting your pain levels, try journaling your pain!
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Grab a journal
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Track your eating, exercise and activity levels each day
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Track the temperature & general weather conditions
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Later on after you’ve gathered enough days’ worth of data, compare!
Is it really the weather that is impacting your pain, or perhaps, other behaviors and lifestyle changes? No matter what the answer ends up to be, you’ll have learned a lot about your symptoms and hopefully, along with a wellness practitioner, you’ll determine how to manage your pain and feel great again.