We know what’s going to happen when we say that there is no relationship between weather changes and arthritis. It will happen on some obscure radio program in Scottsdale, Arizona. The host will take calls, and some angry senior will call in, get all indignant, and berate us about the misinformation that we are irresponsibly spreading. He will tell us how he was hobbled by arthritis while living in Walla Walla, Washington, but now plays three sets of tennis a day. When we explain that the research literature has found no connection, he will become even more incensed.
There is no conspiracy here. Studies that have looked at the subjective perception of pain have found that changes in barometric pressure have caused increased pain, decreased pain, or no change at all. There is no consistent pattern. When researchers tried to look at objective measures of inflammation with weather changes, no study was able to find any connection.
So whether you live in New York City; an Amazonian rain forest; Tucson, Arizona; Piscataway, New Jersey; or the Gobi Desert, science cannot predict any changes with your arthritis with the climate. Check them all out and see which locale you prefer. (We would choose New York – the take-out is better.)
Next: Do even movie stars fart?
Previous: How does aspirin find the pain?
"Does arthritis flair up in bad weather?" was posted on Friday, June 6th, 2008 at 9:18 pm.