Is your body able to predict the weather better than your local meteorologist?
The Human Barometer
It’s true that many people with back pain, neck pain or other joint complaints are often surprisingly accurate in predicting when storms are approaching, and believe it or not, there is some validity to their weather forecasting abilities.
In 2010 by the International Journal of Biometeorology, researchers established a direct connection between low barometric pressure, inflammation and joint pain in rats. Additional research has demonstrated the same phenomenon occurs in humans. For instance, a 2002 study from the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques concluded that “back pain may be aggravated by atmosphere depression in patients with lumbar disc disease.” And a 2007 study from the American Journal of Medicine determined that “changes in barometric pressure are independently associated with osteoarthritis knee pain severity.”
It really drives home what chiropractors have been saying for decades: The absence of pain is not the measure of good health! So while there’s validity to the idea of “aches and pains mean coming rains,” anticipation of weather changes should not interfere with you enjoying the quality of life your desire.
Sunny days ahead are no substitution for proper exercise, good diet and supplementation, and regular chiropractic care.
Spring Showers Bring May Flowers so Call Today!
Don’t hide under your umbrella of pain! Call us today and let us help you get to the underlying inflammation and back to singing in the rain!
For Your Health,
Dr. Joseph Gambardella, Dr. Benjamin Erb and Dr. Gail Behar