If you ever spend time with people who have achy, arthritic joints, you may have heard their weather forecasts based on what joints hurt in their bodies. Is there any truth to this, or is it all in their mind?
Types of arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the lining of the joints becoming inflamed. This can lead to joint damage, loss of function and chronic pain. Osteoarthritis is caused by the cartilage of the joints breaking down, leading to bone-on-bone contact and causing pain, stiffness, difficulty moving or total loss of movement.
Weather conditions
A study conducted by The University of Groningen in the Netherlands (published in the December 1985 "Journal of Rheumatology") concluded that weather conditions do have an impact on symptoms, but they do not affect the disease itself.
Hard to study
One factor researchers consider is the subjectivity of pain. Asking people to judge their pain on a scale of 1 to 10 is typical, but two people may not rate their pain in the same way. This makes it difficult to find scientific evidence regarding whether weather impacts severity of symptoms.
Seasonal changes
Severity of symptoms can change with the seasons, and symptoms are typically worse in the summer months. Neurophysiology and rheumatology scientists in the Netherlands believe this may be in part because of the amount of time spent indoors during winter, where the climate is artificially controlled.
Impact of humidity
Patients living in humid regions often experience more severe symptoms, probably because of barometric pressure changes. Living in dry areas will alleviate most of these changes and reduce their frequency.
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