We have all have that older relative, the one who is full of stories and anecdotes that we like to cajole and joke about. Grandmas who tell the same stories all the time and relatives who are stuck in complaining about their neighbour who sweeps the leaves off the front driveway during the onset of a storm. One of the most common anecdotes is when the weather is changing and those who suffer from arthritis and inflammation coin the phrase “oh here comes a storm I can feel it in my bones”. We have probably all been guilty of rolling our eyes and dismissing the claim with amicable dismissiveness. And yet is there any truth in this statement?
It would appear that this idea of inflammation being sensitive to weather changes has been around since the ancient Greeks with Hippocrates being noted as the first to cite a link between aches and pains with weather patterns. The short answer is that science is yet to provide adequate evidence based theory as to why or if this link is in fact true. That being said, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest a link between changes in barometric pressure, swelling and sensitivity in sites of old injury.
Atmospheric pressure is a balance of pressures between outside and inside the body. Gases and fluids inside the body react and are subject to changes outside the body which are affected by the barometric pressure of our atmosphere. As pressure on the outside drops (as in the onset of a storm) the fluids and gases inside our bodies have the chance to expand - even microscopically. This small and subtle change in size, can result in nerves being pushed on and triggered and the body’s response to this stimulation of the nerve is PAIN.
With old injuries there are two factors that play on the body. Inflammation and sensitivity of nerve endings. Inflammation is a natural response to injury, infections, pathogens or basically anything that is trying to harm the body. This response is not specific and so one of the first things a body will do when it detects damage to cells is create inflammation. Now this can be caused by many elements not limited to injury but even our behaviour and our stress responses. So - if you’ve had a huge week at work. and then gone and smashed it in the gym, followed by a big party that weekend where you may have imbibed in rich food and some good wine, this can illicit an inflammatory response in the body. And then all of a sudden, that old injury is flaring up again.
Sensitivity to pain is something that scientists are still trying to understand in regards to pain and the body’s response. Peripheral nerve pain or pain that exists in the outer nerves such as the extremities of the hands and feet is still being understood and investigated by scientists. What we do understand is that nerves are subject to damage from fractures, compression, blood, incisions to the skin and even extensions where injuries have created a case where the nerve is being stretched. Peripheral nerve pain can also be caused from the systemic autoimmune response when for example we create inflammation in response to an influenza infection. The body creates systemic inflammation to send white blood cells out to attack the pathogen which is spread throughout the body and not in one specific location.
Whilst post injury nerve sensitivity is perhaps not fully understood, there are some points on which some science has agreed. Nerve damage or nerves surrounding or involved with an old injury have a certain degree of hyper sensitivity to them. When an injury has been a chronic issue due to reinjury or insufficient healing or rest, the nerves become more sensitive to stimulation in any systemic inflammatory response (caused by stress, infection, diet etc) and thus can trigger a pain response in that old injured area. Any stimulation of those nerves is interpreted by the brain as pain and this creates the ‘sensitivity of old injuries’.
The danger with the chronic nature of injury and inflammation is it can be negative for the body and the healthy recovered injury. The white blood cells called to the site of an old injury when inflammation is present means that when inflammation is chronic, these cells remain at the site of the injury. These white blood cells can actually start to attack healthy cells and tissues thus resulting in further injury or even a re-awakening of this injured area.
So to manage inflammation and chronic inflammatory responses there are certain things that we can do.
Diet is a big one. What we eat and what types of foods we put in our bodies can have a dramatic effect on our inflammatory responses. Reducing blood sugars and foods high in refined sugars is the first step and increasing your intake of good fatty foods such as fish and omega 3 fatty acids.
Weight is the other big factor. People with a larger BMI (Body Mass Index) are known to have higher levels of C reactive protein (an inflammatory marker) in the blood stream. A lower BMI means a lower level of this inflammatory protein in your system thus helping to manage inflammation.
Stress - we all know it is bad but in this instance it is a major factor in our inflammatory responses. Prolonged stress levels increases cortisol levels in our bodies that predisposes our system to inflammation and the inflammatory response.
So it would appear that old injuries do have something to say when it comes to resurfacing and reminding us of our days of past glory and achievement and that these came at a cost. As grand as scars may be - they don continue to plague us further down the track. So next time your grandma starts complaining about the feeling in her bones, be a little more understanding, she’s onto something.
