Does weather affect joint pain?
The weather is changing, and with that change comes new temperatures and conditions that factor into play when trying to get a proper amount of daily exercise and activity. A lot of times, this change in weather also brings new aches and pains as the temperature and humidity shift to fall, and shortly after, winter. But why is this?
A leading theory is that the air pressure changes with impending weather fronts and this can cause swelling of the joints.
Scientists have suggested that it is the shift in barometric pressure that might be the cause of discomfort. Barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere that surrounds us. When bad weather is on its way in, barometric pressure drops.
The lower air pressure will push less against the body, sometimes enough that tissues will expand. If the tissues expand enough, during a particularly bad incoming storm, for instance, the tissues can press onto the joints, causing a dull, throbbing pain. Scientists also have found receptors in the joints, called baroreceptors that can sense changes in barometric pressure. In other words, your joints, can act like mini-barometers, sensing change in the weather.
