Does the Weather Affect the Severity of Back Pain?

We've all heard about people who swear that their arthritic joints flare up when rainy weather is on the way. But is there really a link between weather conditions and pain - especially in the neck and back?

Interestingly, scientific study has yet to prove a direct correlation between arthritic pain and impending weather conditions. So, your uncle who swears his balky knee can predict the next thunderstorm may not necessarily be the most reliable weatherman. However, there is one aspect of the weather that can indeed play a role in your chronic back or neck pain - barometric pressure.

High pressure in the atmosphere pushes on everything in the environment - including you and your skin. This pressure on your skin causes the liquids in your body to compress and be smaller in volume. Conversely, low barometric pressure can result in a small expansion in the volume of bodily fluids. This increase in volume can cause extra pressure to be placed on nerves and bones that don't change in size, resulting in increased pain and other symptoms related to certain degenerative spine conditions. Fortunately, barometric pressure tends to rise slightly during the warmer summer months we are about to enter into, which may free you from any weather-related pain increases. The only time you may have to worry about barometric pressure falling - and pain increasing - is during the occasional summer thunderstorm or other storm front.

However, temperate spring and summer weather allows for more outdoor activities and low-impact exercises, such as walking or biking, which may also be beneficial in your efforts to mitigate pain. As always, speak with your doctor before trying any new exercises or treatments, and also to find out more about environmental factors that may play a role in your pain.

Do you find that your pain increases or decreases due to the weather, or other seemingly unrelated factors? Have you found any tactics that have proved helpful for dealing with such flare-ups? If so, be sure to join the conversation on the Laser Spine Institute Facebook page and share your advice with other users.