The connection between Barometric pressure and pain is like a chain with a weak link. Since air (atmospheric) pressure is a type of compression, the fluctuation in this pressure causes expansions and compressions.
We all have weaknesses that we’ve either earned or that we were born with. It’s these weaknesses that are affected the most when we experience atmospheric fluctuations in pressure.
In low Barometric pressure conditions things tend to expand. The expansion of a balloon during low Barometric pressure is an example. A high Barometric pressure level, then, compresses. Lower elevations tend to have more compression. And, whether there is a link or not, the majority of the worlds populations live at lower elevations.
(There isn’t a reference for the weak link analogy because this is my understanding from what I’ve read. This is an overall, generic, analogy. It is not meant to be an exact or precise description. Its message is intended to convey a general direction of causality. Moreover, information that I’ve found on the net indicates that scientists don’t know how atmospheric pressure affects the body beyond their observance that it does indeed affect some of us. Basic physics suggests an obvious probability of a physical connection.)
One example of how scientists and doctors know that Barometric pressure affects the body is in blood pressure. According to an article at http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5402542_atmospheric-pressure-affect-blood-pressure.html
“Many things can affect blood pressure, including changes in atmospheric pressure due to deep sea diving, leaving the atmosphere entirely, and changes in the weather. “
This article contends that blood pressure increases with a high atmospheric pressure level. In addition, they reference an article in the Journal of Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (2001). 400 Individuals were studied where the resulting conclusion was that there is a correlation between atmospheric pressure and blood pressure.
HOW BAROMETRIC PRESSURE WORKS: Believe it or not, air has weight. Air is comprised of molecules with spaces in-between them. When the Barometric pressure is high, those molecules are compressed together. This reduces the space between them. This is true in most areas of the world. The poles and the equator are the exceptions. Temperature and humidity also combines with Barometric pressure to affect pain. http://www.weather.com/newscenter/topstories/health/achesandpains/010712pressurearthritis.html?from=apfl
The air we breathe is comprised of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_air_molecules_and_water_molecules
The amount of oxygen available to us will vary with atmospheric pressure. The amount of oxygen in our bodies will affect various bodily functions to some degree. Lower elevations have a higher concentration of these gasses. High concentrations of these molecules mean more air there is to breathe.
A lack of oxygen results in hypoxia. This presents as difficulty in doing regular activities and fatigue. This is also common in uncontrolled type 2 diabetes where the cells become resistant to nutrients, water and/or oxygen. Lack of enough oxygen can thus result in pain.
CONDITIONS THAT BAROMETRIC PRESSURE CAN AFFECT: These include Migraine headaches, Rheumatoid arthritis, Asthma, Fibromyalgia, fatigue, sleep patterns, muscle pain, Multiple sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, and moods. People who are genetically predispositioned, unhealthy, injured or elderly may experience changes in air pressure the most.
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_weather.html http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/04/30/why-does-pain-get-worse-when-a-storm-is-coming/
COPING TECHNIQUES: Coping techniques involve knowledge about how to predict your reaction to which level of Barometric pressure, dietary assistance and professional consultation for treatment.
The first recommendation is to track which level of Barometric pressure affects one and how it does so. Make a journal with a dollar store journal book or notebook that has lines in it. Making one in a spreadsheet program on the computer works too.
A daily journal that records Barometric readings and how one feels physically and/or mentally would be ideal. Recording one’s diet and blood pressure along with pH or other health items may also be useful.
A digital Barometer would greatly improve the usefulness of such a diary. One Internet search for Barometers revealed this site: http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/digital-barometer.html
A map of an aches and pains index across the United States can be found at: http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/achesandpains/index_large.html
(Make sure to refresh the page when you get there to make sure it shows current data.)
Other recommendations found in the above listed references include warmer temperatures, more exposure to sunlight, getting fresh air or an ionizer, and medications.
Additionally, breathing exercises such as found in yoga or meditation may assist in getting more oxygen into one’s body. The extra depth of breathing may relieve pain in any case, regardless of the atmospheric pressure.
Where one lives could also make a difference. Honolulu, HI or Denver, CO might be locations of interest for pain management depending on how the air pressure effects one’s pain.
Since a low Barometric pressure can cause swelling, some control over that process would be helpful in some cases. Things that are often involved in swelling may include histamines, cytokines or other hormonal/chemical responses by the body to injury or stress. A lack of oxygen could potentially be interpreted by the body as stress. http://arthritis.about.com/od/inflammation/f/cytokines.htm
A health care professional can diagnose and suggest methods of relief from the specific issue that Barometric pressure is aggravating.
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