Weatherman Flip Spiceland shows you why some people can predict the weather in their joints.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Ever heard someone say, “There’s rain coming, I can feel it in my bones.” Did you believe them?
Well, you know what, it turns out they may be right.
Many people claim they can predict bad weather when their joints start aching. And conditions like arthritis have been linked to humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure.
In a classic experiment, one researcher tested out the theory by creating a climate-controlled chamber in a lab.
He put 12 arthritis patients inside and raised the humidity.
This lowered the atmospheric pressure – just like when a storm is coming – and guess what happened? Most of their symptoms got worse.
Lowering the temperature also seemed to trigger their arthritis pain. This scientist concluded that the drop in atmospheric pressure, which happens during cold, rainy weather, may cause a person’s already inflamed joints to swell even more.
Other chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and migraines, also seem to respond to changes in temperature and humidity.
The weather is so connected to some people’s discomfort, that many weather networks and web sites issue an aches and pains forecast, predicting the risk of swollen joints based on upcoming weather conditions.