My knees are swelling up...it must be about to rain!

If you've ever felt as though you are a human weather station and bet your friends that you can out-predict the meteorologist...chances are...your friends just lost some money.

Many patients report a lot of rollercoaster joint pain this time of year. The temperature is up and down starting off cold in the morning and hot by the afternoon. Its rainy one day and hot and humid the next. Or, theres always that one week of "Indian Summer" where its unseasonably warm for a week or so. Then we get shot right into the cold the next week, often times at colder than usual temperatures.

There is not an overwhelming amount of literature supporting this theory that our bodies react differently to weather change, but there IS some research out there giving us a clue into this phenomenon. 

The studies that have been published relate this change in our bodies (ex: pain, swelling or stiffness) NOT to the temperature but to the change in barometric pressure in the atmosphere. Overall there is an inverse relationship; as barometric pressure decreases, pain increases.  Depending on the specific ailments there can be a greater change in pain in some and this appears to be true of both patients with osteoarthritis and other forms of arthritis.

Should you move to Florida?
Unfortunately its not that easy. Although some with arthritis claim their pain is diminished in the warmer weather, its not the actual temperature that is the culprit here. It is as previously mentioned the change in barometric pressure that is causing the underlying condition in the joint to flare up. Sorry. 

What CAN we do?
Visit your Chiropractor regularly. There is a possibility that you have underlying dysfunction somewhere throughout your body's kinetic chain in order for you to be experiencing pain. Generally, when you have properly functioning joints the pressure change is adjusted to by your body and pain is not expressed as predominantly. If you DO have a dysfunction in your kinetic chain your Chiropractor can give you some guidance on how to correct for this dysfunction and with regular adjustments prevent the pain from coming!

Think twice before making bets on next week's weather!
Have a great week,

Dr. Caitlin Pietrosanto