Good article from Johns Hopkins Health Alerts concerning two recent two recent research studies on whether climate really does affect arthritis pain, which have produced conflicting results.
One of them seems to validate my experiences with high humidity and changes in pressure....
From the article:
What the Research on Arthritis Pain Shows
One study looked for a relationship between weather and arthritis pain in 151 people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or fibromyalgia (a rheumatic disorder that causes joint pain) as well as 32 people without arthritis. All participants lived in Cordoba City, Argentina, which has a warm climate. Participants kept a journal for one year recording the presence and features of any pain, and these daily reports were matched with weather conditions such as temperature, barometric pressure, and relative humidity.
Patients in all three groups experienced more pain on days when the temperature was low, while people in the control group were unaffected by any of the weather conditions. In addition, patients with rheumatoid arthritis were affected by high humidity and high pressure; osteoarthritis patients by high humidity; and those with fibromyalgia by high pressure. However, the associations were not strong enough to allow pain to predict weather, or vice versa.
Another study looked at 154 people (average age 72) who lived in Florida and had osteoarthritis of the neck, hand, shoulder, knee, or foot. Participants reported their arthritis pain scores for up to two years, then researchers matched the scores with the daily temperature, barometric pressure, and precipitation status. No significant associations were found between any of the weather conditions and osteoarthritis pain at any site, except for a slight association between rising barometric pressure and hand pain in women.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93858.php
My doctor said that we experience more pain when the weather changes quickly. He may be right. But I'm not that aware of it.
BUMPI'm pretty sure that my RA flares happen with the cold damp weather or the hot humid weather. I know that winter is pretty crappy for my hands, one day my watch will flop around my wrist the next day it will practically cut off the circulation. Today is the latter and its wet and cold.
HI Guys, the weather definitely affects me, winter my OA is a lot worse and summer my RA. Regards Janie.I've never noticed a connection between my RA and the weather.Bump...........................My (or should I say my body) hates winter and the cold - spring and all the weather changes drives me crazy (I can forcast storms more accurately than our weathermen!LOL) but the summer heat and humidity really doesn't seem to bother me, fall is great until the weather changes of course. Hugs and good vibes.[QUOTE=kelstev]I've never noticed a connection between my RA and the weather.[/QUOTE]