Joint pain, migraines and weather changes: what is the real connection?

Neurologist Werner Becker’s patients often cited a common migraine trigger: time.

When storms came and air pressure dropped, migraine symptoms worsened. “I’ve heard some patients call themselves human barometers,” says Becker, professor emeritus in the department of clinical neurosciences at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary in Canada.

Despite decades of research on this issue, the effects of climate on the body are poorly understood. Although numerous studies have examined the relationship between pain and barometric pressure, the results have been mixed. Some have concluded that there is no clear link between weather and chronic disease. This can be frustrating for patients, many of whom swear that their pain worsens when the weather changes, Becker says.

But there are several ways to prevent time from affecting your health. Here’s what we know about the effects of time on health and what you can do about it.

The scientific community still doesn’t know the true cause of migraines—debilitating headaches that are often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light. Researchers believe that abnormal brain activity causes pain and that certain genes increase susceptibility to attacks.

The connection between migraines and weather is equally mysterious. In one of the first studies on the topic, Becker showed that there was a link between migraine symptoms and Chinook winds, warm, high-speed westerly winds found in the northwestern United States and Canada that correlate with sudden drops in precipitation. pressure, or barometric pressure. The study found that 30 to 40 percent of patients were more likely to experience episodes the day before or during Chinook winds.

But other studies have found no correlation between weather and migraines, which skews the picture.

Jan Hoffmann, a neurologist, migraine specialist and clinical reader at King’s College London, UK, suggests this may be because migraine triggers are not Necessarily they provoke it. There are dozens of known causes of migraines, from poor sleep to caffeine withdrawal, most of which involve sudden changes in daily routine, Hoffman explains. But triggers only increase the likelihood of a migraine, so there’s no guarantee that incoming rain will trigger one.

The biological mechanism linking barometric pressure to migraine is also unclear. Based on rodent studies, experts believe this may be because changes in pressure increase activity in certain areas of the brain. Likewise, some research suggests that changes in middle ear pressure may increase brain activity in areas that control coordination and balance. Other theories state that changes in barometric pressure may also constrict blood vessels and cause changes in blood flow to the brain, which is known to worsen headache symptoms.

Hoffman says pressure changes are likely why migraine patients experience severe headaches on days of bad weather. However, he adds that it is difficult to separate the effects of atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, since pressure changes are often accompanied by all three factors.

To stay ahead of the weather, Hoffmann recommends patients do their best to maintain a consistent sleep and eating schedule, get enough sleep and manage stress. It’s easier said than done and unlikely to stop migraines entirely, he says, but “it could make a difference.”

The relationship between joint pain and climate is equally complex. Heather Buquiri, a rheumatologist and assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, says about two-thirds of her patients with inflammatory joint diseases such as arthritis and lupus experience weather-related joint pain.

His clinical experience is consistent with what the literature says about joint pain and weather: several studies have shown that about 65% of patients experience joint pain when weather conditions change, especially when barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature drop.

But while humidity and temperature are most often correlated with pain symptoms, Bukiri says some studies have failed to find a relationship between barometric pressure and pain.

This may be because many studies on the topic are conducted over a short period of time and rely on patient self-reports, Bukiri says. “It’s not like you put patients in a controlled environment and tell them to do the same thing every day, which creates problems when you’re trying to get proven results.”

Bukiri says there are several theories as to why changes in barometric pressure can cause joint pain. First, the spaces between our joints are closed spaces with slightly negative pressure, and any change in pressure outside the body can cause this space to expand or contract, causing pain.

To prevent weather-related pain, patients should do their best to keep their home warm and dry and take preventative pain medications to relieve symptoms, Bukiri said. But most importantly, patients should be sure to stretch and move on stormy and humid days. “It’s one of the best things you can do to support your joints,” he says.

Barometric pressure also has a marked effect on cardiovascular and respiratory health, says Patricia Best, a cardiologist and coronary artery disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine and Sciences in the US. He explains that most studies on the topic have looked at people traveling on foot or at high altitudes, where the barometric pressure is typically lower.

“At high altitudes, there are immediate physiological changes,” says Best. “There is an increase in blood pressure and blood viscosity, as well as an increase in pressure on the pulmonary arteries.”

Temperature changes also have important consequences. Research shows that both extremely hot and cold temperatures can cause higher-than-usual rates of death from heart attacks and strokes, Best explains. While excessive heat is associated with a 2.2-fold increase in deaths, excessive cold is much more dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease, being associated with a 9.1-fold increase in deaths. It is not clear why, but perhaps it is more difficult for the body to adapt to the cold.

“The body works very hard to regulate temperature,” says Best, explaining that cold temperatures cause blood vessels in the arms and legs to constrict as the body diverts blood to more important organs, such as the brain. This narrowing causes your blood pressure and blood thickness to increase, and if you have cardiovascular disease, it can increase your chance of having a heart attack. On the other hand, in extreme heat, the body begins to pump more blood to the skin, which can cause the heart to work harder than it should. The situation is even worse when low atmospheric pressure and low temperatures combine. Research shows that rapid changes in weather, accompanied by changes in both barometric pressure and temperature, have a greater impact on cardiovascular disease together than either parameter alone.

Less is known about how bodies sense changes in atmospheric pressure, but there are several theories. Best says a drop in barometric pressure is accompanied by a drop in oxygen levels, so he speculates that this may cause the heart to work harder to deliver oxygen to organs and muscles.

Experts advise patients with heart disease to do what they can to stay warm in cold weather and to exercise caution when traveling to high altitude areas. “For a person with a normal cardiovascular system, this is not a big problem. But if you have blockages in your heart arteries, it can be dangerous, says Best. Although your body will adapt to the lower air pressure over time, he adds, “you should take it easy for the first two days.”