We have all heard a friend or family member say that there is going to be a change in weather, because they can “feel it in their bones.” Many claim to know that it is going to rain based on a feeling in their knee, elbow, ankle or shoulder; but is that just an old wives’ tale?
“Patients with arthritis often claim to experience increased swelling as the weather changes,” says Dr. Samuel Capra, an orthopaedic surgeon at White-Wilson Medical Center. “While we don’t have any hard and fast research to tell us why this is so common, the belief is that the changes in barometric pressure that come before a storm allows for additional swelling in problem areas.”
While we may not know the exact reason that these aches and pains occur, it may not be a bad idea to grab an umbrella the next time that you knee is feeling a little stiff.
This myth is plausible!
