Everybody wants to lead a healthy life and enjoy the best. However, health problems sometimes cause chronic pain, which makes this a distant dream. Chronic pain could impact the affected person’s quality of life. Can people with chronic pain manage it effectively? For successful pain management, patients need to understand the cause. This article will discuss the debate that has been ongoing for a long time about the weather and whether it can affect chronic pain. Is this a fact or a fiction? Read on to find out more.
Barometric Pressure
Can barometric pressure or, in simple terms, the change in air pressure in the atmosphere affect pain? Those who assert this to be accurate claim to feel pain when the pressure drops, usually before a heavy downpour or storm. How does this happen? It happens because the body tissue expands and presses on the nerves as the air pressure drops, thus increasing discomfort for those with chronic pain. The situation is reversed when the air pressure rises. However, increased pain should not make people with chronic pain increase their pain medication. They should visit this great oklahoma pain management facility for professional help.
Precipitation
Some people claim that their joints get stiff when it rains or snows. The situation is worse for people with arthritis or other chronic pain since joint stiffness can increase their distress and level of pain. Additionally, during unpleasant weather, some people are not physically active, and inactivity could increase the stiffness of the muscles, increasing pain in the already sore area. Besides, gloomy days can negatively affect people’s moods. If this happens to people with chronic pain, the chances are that they will have an elevated perception of pain.
Temperature
During the cold weather, people with chronic pain might experience more pain. This happens because when the temperature drops, blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow in the affected area. As a result, this exacerbates the degree of pain. The problem mainly affects people with neuropathic pain, back pain, and fibromyalgia pain. Some people with chronic pain claim that extreme heat triggers inflammation. This happens due to increased ozone levels in the air that aggravate certain pain conditions, especially in people with chronic migraine, musculoskeletal pain, and arthritis.
Weather Related Pain
So, is it true that weather can affect pain? There is no conclusive scientific backing for the claims. But that is not to say they are not valid. Note that how people’s bodies react during different weather conditions is influenced by factors such as their underlying health conditions and sensitivity to weather variations.
Track the Symptoms
Every person’s body is unique and reacts differently to pain management strategies. Therefore, it is possible to find weather conditions that alleviate pain levels in one person and soothe others. Hence, those with chronic pain can manage the situation by keeping track of the symptoms to identify patterns. Consequently, they can proactively manage their pain through the changing weather patterns.
Though research on weather and how it affects chronic pain is inconclusive, there is refutable evidence proving this theory. Therefore, patients should strive to understand the potential impact of weather on their symptoms. This will empower them to take proactive steps to manage the pain better. Chronic pain is a personalized journey. Therefore, those with the condition can overcome it by being proactive and keeping up with the latest pain management theories and findings.