The old notion that people with forms of chronic pain have a way to tell the weather remains fairly common. After all, most of us have had a relative at one point or another who has made such a claim. These days it may not seem as common, but as we age we might just find that we’re experiencing something similar to an old injury. The cold, in particular, seems set to aggravate joints, old breaks, and others area of the body that can all cause a bit of pain. Is there a real link between cold weather and pain though? Anecdotes, after all, don’t really count as evidence for phenomena. This question is actually a lot more interesting than most people think. Folk knowledge tends to muddy the actual science of things, but there is enough there that we can explore the answer to this interesting question easily.

The Harmony of the Body
Before we go any farther forward, it is important that we take a look at the human body as a whole. It is a complex organic machine that operates on multiple levels. The continual management of complex systems means that even small shifts can end up adding up to something larger than usual. This is why a lot of things we think “couldn’t hurt” actually do in the long run simply because they introduce the wrong kind of small shift into our body’s systems. We don’t have to actively be doing anything to cause these shifts though. It isn’t always something we eat or drink. Simple travel changes some aspects of our body’s internal management by exposing us to different environments. After all, it isn’t like we want to have to pop our ears as an airplane climbs into the sky. This kind of shift that we can’t control may actually play a role in how weather affects pain.

Pressure Can Get To You
Scientists studying the phenomena think they may have an idea on why cold weather and other shifts can bring with them an increase in pain: barometric pressure. The best way of understanding this form of pressure is to think of the air around you. Intuitively speaking, we think air weighs nothing, but in truth, it does when properly contained. The atmosphere is how it gets contain on Earth. Weather shifts this form of pressure and as a result, it changes how it is impacting our bodies. Pressure lowers during inclement weather alone and winter tends to have its fair share of that. Additionally, the cold gets into our bodies and tends to make fluids a little more sluggish. This can cause joint pain relatively easily. You’re not immune to feeling any of this either and the fact that old wounds can be somewhat sensitized just makes the relationship between cold and pain that much more likely.

Cautious Interest
We need to stress here that none of this is actually perfectly accepted as far as information goes in the scientific communities. All the collected data on the phenomena is considered “messy” because it can vary so wildly between individuals. Something does seem to be happening for a lot of people though and as a general rule, it is considered quietly accepted even if the data is a bit messy as doctors are meant to help people ease their pain. It is notable that you can work towards easing your own by remembering to bundle up in colder weather. This will help keep everything inside you that much warmer and help reduce the amount of potential pain. Don’t forget to do a little light exercise as well to help keep the muscles in working shape. This combined with the warm blood flow from the exercise typically helps to reduce the experience of pain for those who get it from colder weather.

Cold weather being linked to increased pain is at once folk knowledge and slightly acknowledged medical curiosity. It isn’t universally true, but it is true enough for many of us that the need to focus on carrying for the areas that cause us pain in colder weather. Keeping the area warm and limber will go a long way to helping with that. So try to work towards a better understanding of your pain this winter and on ways to help you manage it.