"I can feel the rain coming... my joints are acting up!" This phrase, often attributed to grandparents, is frequently heard in rheumatologists' offices. Weather sensitivity seems to affect a large part of the population. While a grey sky affects our mood, changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity, and temperature also have a direct impact on our bodies.
The Science Behind the Sensation
The human body is a machine under permanent adaptation. When the weather changes, several physical parameters come into play:
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Atmospheric pressure: This is the weight of the air around us. Before a storm or a depression, this pressure drops. Our body tissues (muscles, tendons, synovial fluid pockets) then have a tendency to expand slightly. For an already sensitive or inflamed joint, this micro-variation is enough to awaken pain.
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Humidity: Water-laden air increases the perception of cold. Humidity penetrates and cools the tissues, and increases the viscosity of the synovial fluid, making movements feel more "rusty" in the morning.
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Negative and positive ions: Before a weather disturbance, the air becomes charged with positive ions (despite their name, they are rather "negative" for our well-being), which can promote irritability, fatigue, and headaches.
Who Are the Sensitive Individuals?
However, not everyone reacts in the same way. People suffering from chronic pain, osteoarthritis, old fractures, or surgical scars are often the first to be affected. Scar tissue, not having the same elasticity as healthy tissue, reacts more brutally to changes in pressure. People suffering from migraines or circulation disorders are also impacted by temperature drops.
How to Better Live with the Skies' Caprices?
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Stay active despite the gloom: A sedentary lifestyle is the enemy of weather-sensitive joints. Movement produces internal heat and lubricates the joints. A brisk walk, even in cool weather, is beneficial.
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Joints sensitive to the cold? Cover them well to go out. Silk under-gloves, thermal leggings, wool knee warmers... The heat dilates the vessels and relaxes the muscle fibers.
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Joints sensitive to too much ambient heat? Heatwave temperatures can increase the local vasodilation specific to inflammation.