Tomorrow’s weather forecast is already making your joints creak? Humidity, cold… a chiropractor explains why certain weather conditions can increase this pain.
- Trauma, infection, medication, osteoarthritis, arthritis… Joint pain has many origins.
- According to a 2016 IFOP survey organized by Inserm, 93% of French people say they have already suffered from joint pain and 1 in 2 suffers from it when responding to this survey.
Is there really a cause and effect relationship between joint pain and the weather or is this an old medical belief? “Well, it doesn’t happen to everyone, but we know it does happen to some.”, says Dr. Andrew Banga chiropractor at the Cleveland Clinic.
“I see him all the time in my office. People come on days with bad weather and they tell me that they suffer more than on other days.” Nevertheless, “we haven’t quite figured it out scientifically yet”, he concedes.
Arthritis: stronger pain in wet weather?
A study of the pain experienced by 13,000 people with arthritis in the UK found that pain could increase on days with higher humidity, stronger winds and higher barometric pressure. low. Conversely, other studies simply show an occasional or mild relationship between weather changes and painful joints… So what’s really going on?
Cold, humidity, drop in pressure… The impact on our joints
According to the doctor, barometric pressure can actually have an impact on joint pain. Indeed, when the atmospheric pressure decreases, the air exerts less pressure on our body, allowing the tissues to swell slightly, which can then irritate the joints. But it is also the speed at which this pressure changes that has an impact: the faster it decreases, the more pain is likely to be felt.
In cold weather, the specialist explains that the “oily fluid“joints can somehow”get muddy”, which prevents him from “lubricate the joint as well” than usual and can therefore “lead to pain when moving”.
Arthritis, osteoarthritis: 4 tips to reduce pain due to weather change
While no one can act on changes in the weather, habits can be put in place to manage their effects on joint pain. Dr. Bang recommends in particular:
- Staying active as muscles, tendons and ligaments that aren’t moving tend to tighten up as “if you keep moving, you are less likely to have certain ailments”.
- Stretch regularly and do yoga to increase flexibility and maintain joint health.
- Stay warm because the cold tends to stiffen the muscles. Hot showers or heating pads can also be effective in relieving pain. “Bringing heat to areas where you have pain increases blood flow and relaxes ligaments, tendons and connective tissue.”
- Review power supply: “Research shows that foods like green tea, berries, broccoli, and whole grains can reduce inflammation. So, eating better can help you feel better.”