New research from The George Institute for Global Health concludes the weather plays no part in the symptoms associated with either back pain, which many amputees experience, or osteoarthritis.
“The belief that pain and inclement weather are linked dates back to Roman times,” said Professor Chris Maher, who led the back pain study. “But our research suggests this belief may be based on the fact that people recall events that confirm their pre-existing views.
“Human beings are very susceptible so it’s easy to see why we might only take note of pain on the days when it’s cold and rainy outside, but discount the days when they have symptoms but the weather is mild and sunny.”
Study results showed no association between back pain and temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction, or precipitation. Higher temperatures did slightly increase the chances of lower back pain, but the amount of the increase was not clinically important.
The findings reinforce earlier research on back pain and inclement weather from The George Institute, which received widespread criticism from the public on social media.
“People were adamant that adverse weather conditions worsened their symptoms so we decided to go ahead with a new study based on data from new patients with both lower back pain and osteoarthritis,” Maher said. “The results though were almost exactly the same-there is absolutely no link between pain and the weather in these conditions.”
Associate Professor Manuela Ferreira, who led the osteoarthritis research, said, “People who suffer from either of these conditions should not focus on the weather as it does not have an important influence on your symptoms and it is outside your control…. What’s more important is to focus on things you can control in regards to managing pain and prevention.”
This article was adapted from information provided by The George Institute.
