Barometric Pressure & Chronic Pain Conditions

Numerous scientific studies have linked variations in levels of barometric pressure to increased risks of numerous types of chronic pain conditions.

Historic Beliefs

• It has been believed that weather affects people's health and pain since the year 4 B.C. when the famous scientist Hippocrates, inspiration for the Hippocratic Oath of Medicine, was at the height of his studies.

Theoretical Links

• Barometric pressure is the amount of force put out by the air around us: this force changes with the approach of a storm. It is theorized by doctors and scientists that when barometric pressure decreases tissue around joints swells, causing pain.

Migraines and Severe Headaches

• An elevated risk of migraines, chronic headaches that cause nausea and sensitivity to light and sound as well as general severe headaches have been linked to low barometric pressure by a study done on emergency room patients presenting headaches between the years 2000 and 2007.

Osteoarthritis

• In a study of 200 participants spanning three months, researchers discovered that fractional lowering of barometric pressure is linked to an increase in the severity of osteoarthritis pain.

Problems with the Theory

• WebMD.com reports that Dr. Denis Driscoll, emeritus professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M and a meteorologist, notes two problems with declaring a definite link between pain and barometric pressure changes: pressure changes caused by approaching storms are low and the only method of recording incidents of changes in pain levels and swelling in patients is through subjective first-hand accounts as there is no means of measuring slight differences in inflammation or an exact pain scale.