3. Certain Weather Conditions Induce More Pain
For centuries, the link between a physical ailment and weather conditions have been talked about without any real confirmation. Many feel puzzled as to why certain weather conditions cause more pain. It’s a common complaint by those with arthritis, healed fractures, or migraines to name a few conditions. We know that people who are better informed about their pain tend to do a better job in coping with it. Yet little has been done to verify these complaints and explain them from a physiological standpoint. So here is what we do know:
Low atmospheric pressure has a significant association with pain. It is correlated with an increase in pain intensity in the period following acute or chronic fracture treatment.4 A strong association was also found in patients with osteoarthritis.5 Low atmospheric pressure often precedes stormy conditions which is why many individuals with arthritis or healed fractures report that they can sense when a storm system is coming before it even happens. It was initially thought that cold temperatures may also correlate with pain, but there was no association found. The analgesic effects of cold on inflammatory pain could be one reason why – just think about why we decide to put ice on a sprained ankle for example. In terms of a biological mechanism behind this phenomenon, we currently do not know. The inner ear organ and vestibular nerve in mice play a role in sensing changes in barometric pressures but further research is needed to clarify why this happens.6
Click page 4 to read a summarized list of all the links between depression and pain based on literature