“Cloudy with a Chance of Pain” – what a wonderful name for a research project!
Led by Professor Will Dixon of Manchester University, it recruited 2,500 people suffering with different kinds of arthritis, fibromyalgia etc and asked them to monitor their levels of pain with their smartphones, which also recorded their local weather.
The research was published on 24th October 2019, and they found that there was a link with humidity, rather than temperature.
Mm, interesting – I was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis when I was 32. Heavens, that’s 25 years ago.
Certainly I have never felt comfortable with warm humid muggy weather.
What I have noticed however, and mention to my patients, is that, for me at least, when it is just above freezing, say 1-3 degrees C:
– that is when my bones really ache, and
– when the damp and cold seem to seep into every joint.
Those are the days when I really need to do my stretching routine.
I remember from my Chemistry A Level, that water is at its maximum volume at 4 degrees C…
So I have long wondered if there is some connection between water pressure in the atmosphere and joint pain.
Oh, and humid or misty weather makes my hair curl!
How does the weather affect you?
If you live or work in or near Baldock in North Hertfordshire, or Bromley in South East London, and would like to have a chat about how osteopathy might be able to help you, then do get in touch: text me or call me on 07535 350 343. I may be helping a patient, so a text is best, and I can call you back.