Cloudy with a Chance of Pain

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More than the gate has been creaking recently around our home. All that damp weather I blogged about in my last post has taken its toll on the joints. Although my knees have long suffered from degenerative changes, recently I have been conscious of arthritic pain in my fingers too. 

Any correlation between joint pain and the weather has frequently been dismissed as an old wives' tale but I lie not when I say that lately my hands have become almost as adept as a barometer at identifying the rises and falls in atmospheric pressure.

Trust me every time it's wet and cold, I find myself prompted by discomfort to examine my fingers for evidence of any misshaping to accompany the stiffness and have even started to wear fingerless gloves indoors on the coldest, wettest days to provide some protection and relief.

Thankfully it appears that I am not suffering from a furtive imagination as well as arthritis. A study by the University of Manchester named "Cloudy with a Chance of Pain" has indeed established a relationship between meteorological conditions and the manifestation of arthritic symptoms. Humidity, wind and low pressure are all identified as linked to increased pain. Temperature, however, does not appear to play a role, unless and in so far as cold weather is coupled with damp and windy conditions.

Whilst I cannot in all honesty describe the symptoms I suffer from as chronic and continue to adhere to the principle of "moving it or losing it," it is useful to know that the traits of degeneration are likely to be amplified by the weather without it necessarily indicating an exacerbation of the underlying condition. Now if only we could get a reliable weather forecast, it really could aid forward planning for those who suffer from debilitating pain, swelling and rigidity.


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