Arthritis and barometric pressure

Scientists and patients alike have always debated on whether the climate has an effect on arthritis. Studies have shown that cold weather and humidity certainly does not cause arthritis but it may worsen the symptoms. Just like applying a warm pack can help relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis, warm, balmy climate can also help ease the symptoms up to a certain extent. Patients have also reported feeling better in places with higher barometric pressure. Patients with arthritis report feeling more pain and inflammation on days when the humidly is high and barometric pressure is low. On cold and rainy days, the barometric pressure decreases. Patients report more pain during these days. This suggests that could be a correlation between barometric pressure and arthritis. There are many theories which attempt to explain why low barometric pressure causes arthritic pain and inflammation. One theory suggests that low barometric pressure can cause body tissues to expand, resulting in swelling, pain and inflammation. Another theory states that peoples’ pain threshold reduces in cool humid climates and this results in arthritis patients feeling more pain than usual. Yet another theory states that a preconception that cold and humid climates worsen arthritis symptoms could be the reason why patients feel worse in such conditions.