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Ouch! Must Be a Change in the Weather!

fallRemember when your great-aunt or grandfather walked around some days so stiff and sore that they could hardly get around? Yet, on other days, they were full of bounce and energy. Are they putting us on, we wondered?

Turns out they probably weren’t. Lately we have learned that as the barometric pressure in the atmosphere changes, the barometric pressure in our joints changes as well. In a study of the weather’s effects on chronic pain patients, Dr. Robert Newlin Jamison (Harvard Medical School) discovered that among all people interviewed about their chronic pain:

Two-thirds said they were pretty sure that weather seems to affect their pain. Most of them reported that they could actually feel the changes even before the weather changed. In other words, they could feel some increased pain the day before the storm comes.

This doesn’t seem to happen until we are older. As we age, and the joints and connective tissues start to break down, the pressure in the joints sometimes reacts. This pressure is actually barometric pressure, or the weight of the air pressing against the surface of the earth. Any change in pressure can trigger joint pain or headaches in some people. When we are younger, our joints are well lubricated and connective tissues are strong and working well, so we don’t notice changes in barometric pressure.

Dr. James Gladstone, co-director of sports medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, has studied this phenomenon and says,

Arthritis affects everything else within the joint itself, including the joint lining, which we call the synovium, as well as the ligaments that are within the joint. All of those tissues have nerve endings in them, so they’re going to feel changes in the weather as tightness in the joint, or stiffness.

It’s been amusing (but not really very funny) that I’ve encountered a coincidence while researching this article—I’ve developed a stiff neck and arm and while I’m tempted to think this is a result of the power of suggestion, it’s probably more a result of spending an inordinate length of time on the computer, using the mouse. So, I’ve done the recommended things—I rested my arm, monitored my posture, and did a raft of warm-up and stretching exercises. But it persisted, and I started the process of looking for a physiotherapist. In the interim, I went to YouTube to look for exercises for temporary relief.

This is what I found:

I’ve been doing this exercise several times a day, and can’t believe how much it has helped! So I’m passing it on, in the hopes that one of the legions of people who spend hours and hours online using the mouse may see it and find relief. I’m not a medical authority, and am suggesting this purely out of personal experience, but this morning, my stiffness is gone, and I am limber and ready to work again. A word of caution to those who have serious conditions, however—a specialist must be consulted and exercises tailored to their specific needs.

I have been very fortunate in not having any underlying complications—I’m just stiff and sore occasionally, and there always seems to be a cause. So, I am making an effort to take the steps that have always kept my muscles in good condition in the past:

Build my endurance, and strength

– I’ll build endurance by doing aerobic activities. For me, that means brisk walking or 20 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym. That increases my breathing and heart rate.

– When my muscles are warmed, if I’m at the gym, I’ll move to the weight room to do some strength exercises, like lifting weights. Right now, until I can trust that my arm is better, I’ll restrict myself to 5 lb weights.

Improve my balance and flexibility

– Once I’m on the mat, I continue with a few sit ups for core strength, and then go straight into my flexibility routine, which can last a good 10 to 15 minutes. Stretching is mandatory in keeping my body flexible and limber. I never miss this important step!

I know I am missing balance exercises in my routine. In the past, I’ve tried yoga and tai chi, which are both great for improving balance, but I have not been committed enough to maintain them! You can find some tremendous balance exercises on Doug Schrift’s page.

Which brings me back to the approaching colder weather and the havoc that fluctuating atmospheric pressure is likely to cause in my joints, (and maybe yours). The way I see it, I have two choices; Move to a warmer climate, or get my muscles in top shape, and maintain it.

2 thoughts on “Ouch! Must Be a Change in the Weather!”

  1. If you are spending a lot of time on line you may also want to include things for your wrist. Stretching exercises and massaging can help to free up the bones in the wrist which can get stiff and stuck after being held in the same position when using a mouse. Good video, Diane. Thanks for sharing it. I can certainly relate to cooler weather and stiffer joints!

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