People who say that they can predict the weather by the pain in their arthritic knees may be right after all. While many arthritis sufferers feel the weather affects their pain; some say their pain increases when it's cold or when it rains, but scientific evidence of the phenomenon has been hard to find, radio reported.
One problem is that, given many people's strong convictions about the effects of weather on their pain, it's difficult to get unbiased reports of pain flare-ups.
Using data from a study of US adults with knee arthritis, researchers from New England Medical Center in Boston found that patient' pain flare-ups are correlated with changes in temperature and barometric pressure.
They used data from an earlier study that investigated glucosamine for knee arthritis. The 200 adults in that study reported on their pain levels at several points over three months.
It was found that patients' pain tended to worsen when the temperature dropped or when the barometric pressure increased. The data corroborated the general assertions by people with osteoarthritis that weather conditions influence their pain.
Even the 19th century notion that arthritis sufferers fare better in climates that are warm and sunny year-round may be partly correct. It's not fully clear why temperature and barometric pressure might influence arthritis pain. Cold temperatures may, for instance, affect joint range of motion, or the flow of the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints.
Barometric pressure refers to the weight of the surrounding air, and it fluctuates with changes in altitude or weather. Some research suggests that atmospheric pressure plays a role in the stabilisation of the body's joints.