Questions answered by Dr. Tim Penner, physician at Clay County Medical Center.
Is there truth to weather changes causing joint pain?
“The very common complaint that joints hurt when the weather changes is a true phenomenon. I think in the past it was kind of dismissed, but it’s pretty well recognized in the medical community that it’s a legitimate complaint. The theory is that especially when barometric pressure drops, the soft tissues in and around the joints are able to swell and that can generate pain. I
suspect that the problem is caused with a dropping barometric pressure and not a rising one.
What causes this pain?
“I think it makes sense physiologically. The additional factor with weather is that when it’s cold people tend to be less active. When you’re less active, joints tend to stiffen up. There’s also a theory that if you’re sitting longer, the joint fluid in major weight-bearing joints – hips and knees – gets a thicker viscosity, which causes more pain and stiffness. Change in pressure may also irritate nerve endings.”
Can age affect these symptoms?
“I think this is mainly something that affects the adult population. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis which is mainly an adult disease. My thinking is that all our body’s functions happen on a cellular level through constant chemical reactions. These endless processes are all temperature-sensitive. Therefore, our bodies go to great lengths to maintain normal body temperature. If it’s too hot or too cold, the body makes adjustments. That capacity (to make adjustments) changes as we get older. Babies don’t have as well-developed systems and they’re also at risk for temperature extremes. With older people, their ability to adapt is compromised because of the effects of aging. Older people often have trouble adjusting to temperature changes due to a less efficient vascular system. Adapting to cold and heat just doesn’t work as well.”
Do you see other seasonal health complaints?
“I notice every year around this time, people come in more with complaints of ankle swelling as the temperature is moving up. We need time to adapt to the heat. The body is trying to dissipate excess heat by dilating the veins in the extremities. This causes more swelling in the ankles and feet. I see it every year, you can almost count on it.”
“A lot of people get migraine headaches that are triggered by weather changes. I know if a storm is coming the ER will be busy. Migraine sufferers usually have multiple triggers. It can be from allergies or changes in the barometric pressure.”
“Another one is patients with chronic lung problems, such as COP,D which can flare up with high humidity. They really suffer; some have to stay in the AC all summer, it’s just too hard to breathe.”
“There are a few more, like cardiac patients in extreme temperatures, and seasonal affective disorder or “winter blues. So many different body systems can be affected by the weather.”
Can anything be done to combat the joint pain?
“The short answer is not specifically. You can move around more and dress appropriately. As was mentioned, if it’s cold, things tend to stiffen up. The way to combat that is to stay active and stay hydrated. If it’s not hot we don’t think about staying hydrated, but I see just as much dehydration in the winter months as the summer. There is a rule of thumb is that for every pound of weight you lose, you take four pounds of pressure off your knees, which is encouraging. I have seen that many times. Five pounds can bring meaningful relief.”
Are there misconceptions about joints and joint pain?
“People often think that only overweight people get worn-out joints and that’s not true. Patients with ideal body weight can wear out their joints just as bad. This could be due to various kinds of arthritis, but there are so many variables besides weight.”