Pain And Changes In Weather...Am I Alone????

Posted by cahnny @cahnny, Sep 10, 2016

I've read articles saying that changes in weather can effect severity of pain and, of course, there's the old timers who swear the old bones ache when it's gonna rain. Well I guess, at 70 years old, I'm now an old timer and, let me tell you...my old bones and muscles, and skin, and hair HURT. There are days I hurt from neuropathy and Morton's Neuroma in my feet and legs, to profound itching along my degenerating spine (I think due to pinches nerves), to aching joints, swollen cysts behind my arthritic knees, gut discomfort from IBS, pinched nerves EVERYWHERE to neck pain that goes down my arms, to skin that just feels sore and tingly. I'm talking all these things all at the same time. It's like someone flipped a switch and lit me up like a roman candle. One doctor will say...that could very well be. Another doctor will say poppy cock. Well poppy cock this...I know my body and I know how it feels and I know it's not in my head. Now it might be coming FROM my head...as in mixed up signals from the brain saying YOU'RE IN PAIN but the pain and sensations are real.

I needed a new bedside alarm clock so purchased a clock that also provides barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity readings. It seems, without fail, on days when there is a dramatic swing in barometric pressure my body goes into all over intense pain mode. Do any of you have the same experiences??? I'm not talking just a little aching. I'm talking REAL discomfort.

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@slkanowitz

You are not alone and the effects of barometric pressure changes increasing pain can be at least partially explained. The joints and bursae have fluid in them and when the barometric pressure decreases, the fluid pressure increases and can. Cause pain, swelling and stiffness. The faster the change and more extreme the change, the worse it is. Baro pressures drop when cooler or stormy weather approaches and the pain can be felt 24 hrs or more before the storm or cld comes in. I use this information to anticipate and modify my medication, like anti inflammatory meds, and activities, like social plans, to accommodate the change. I also wear warmer clothes, get out the heating pad and plan simpler meals and comfort foods. Baro pressure changes also cause increased vasodilation which can trigger migraines and sinus problems.
I used to spend winters in AZ instead of CO and now have moved there permanently for this reason. It’s the reason there are so many snowbirds trying to escape the cold and snow storms. You can use the barometer as one of your tools to help manage your health and pain. I find 30mm is my threshold. Below is bad, above is better. Have fun experimenting with this. I hope it helps you!

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This is exactly why I moved from the Seattle area to Arizona too. I came to Arizona on a couple of vacations during Winter Break years ago and had no headaches. So I’m now here full time. I have fewer sinus infections but the migraines have worsened. I don’t get it.

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@csearch

@rwinney I am about to try what you would call advanced hypnosis, where the person running it helps try to have your body modify what it feels. >99% of what your body does is all subconscious. You do not have to think about breathing, heart beating, body healing, digesting food, growing hair, etc. People may think treatment is something way out there, but I have seen his work where, after a year, he was able to help a person who had brain damage partially remap his patient's brain to take up the slack for what was lost during the injury. If we think about meditation, those highly skilled people can almost stop their heartbeat, reduce pain, and elevate to another way of thinking by using their minds. I believe with all the improvements we have made in medicine, maybe we have forgotten what our bodies can do. We know, for example, that opioids can worsen your pain over time as our brain gets retrained a little that we are in pain, and without the tablet, our pain will be wrong. Those of us with chronic pain where there is no time frame to its end are dependent on pain relief, not addicted to pain relief.

The mind is a powerful tool; just like a computer, we can reprogram certain aspects. I am not sure we really know to what extent. When you run out of alternatives, you educate yourself on what else exists. I am not a doctor but by education, I am a scientist, and as such, I seek out answers through data. Will this treatment help? I have no idea, but I have seen evidence that some remarkable changes have occurred in others. It would be fantastic if you could teach the brain that the pain signals are not that your body is in a stressful or damaged situation, but that it is now what is normal and to chill out on the pain signals we are under day in and day out.

I am not a spiritual person or one who chases miracles by religion but hell if I can find a solution to my pain through a benign no risk treatment, I am all for it.

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Hmm, very interesting, the mind is a powerful tool indeed. I'm certainly no scientist, like you, but grasp the concept of fight or flight with chronic pain and how our brain's are central comand stations. How parts of our brain's computer can be rewired albeit through, perhaps hypnotism or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) by creating new patterns, behaviors and mindsets. Best of luck to you in your new endeavor of advanced hypnosis. Will you keep us tuned in to how it goes and share results in due time? Inquiring minds want to know! When do you begin?

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@rwinney

Hmm, very interesting, the mind is a powerful tool indeed. I'm certainly no scientist, like you, but grasp the concept of fight or flight with chronic pain and how our brain's are central comand stations. How parts of our brain's computer can be rewired albeit through, perhaps hypnotism or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) by creating new patterns, behaviors and mindsets. Best of luck to you in your new endeavor of advanced hypnosis. Will you keep us tuned in to how it goes and share results in due time? Inquiring minds want to know! When do you begin?

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@rwinney in two weeks. Years ago, I would have just dismissed this as nonsense but when you see some results you cannot explain, you have to question your logic for not trying. He did explain some simple ideas that made sense. We are creatures of habit/routine, and our bodies get into a pattern. If for example, we change foods because we now live in another country our bodies may struggle to adapt for a while., If we take a certain medicine say Oxy for example and we stop there is a consequence because the body is used to it. If our mind assumes the pain we have day in and day out is normal, then, it takes that as being just what will be going forward. We are often like zombies and we just do things routinely and do not have to think about it (you need coffee to get going in the morning, you wash yourself in the shower the same way each day, you take the same roads home each day (how many of us think we must go to the shops on the way home and only to realize too late we missed the turn because we are so used to just going home in a certain way). He works at reprogramming or remapping the mind.

I did read that they are trialing hypnosis for minor day surgery to avoid using an anesthetic on high-risk patients and have had some amazing results. If that is possible, then I guess by extrapolation maybe our mind can be retrained.

No idea if it will work but stay tuned, I guess.

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Not poppy cock ! In Florida , besides being an awful state in many ways, I hurt, ache and tremble. Nothing on the radar, but I can tell, there’s a storm coming. It does show up within a hour. Rain is a killer, cooler weather, maybe the first day. But after that, loving it. But yes, as I am trying this, hubby is in the tub with hot water. I have ice on my knee and just took 2 mg of perc. Knee replacement that went bad, no revision needed. Just too big, my bones too small. Think the idiot would have said something. Ruined my life! You need to put your foot down or up their rears! The nueroma, had them. Awful. Pain Mgt did a RFS and a burn at the same time, that was 5 years ago. Worked. Before it was over a year of shots. Then one day we were taking and he did a burn, I said was to be a RFA he did both, gone.

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Hi @cahnny
When I was in high school it was considered an accurate weather report if everyone saw me doing my homework, it was going to snow and I was feeling the pressure change. I had had a few serious injuries and therefore a good barometer. Now it is my head, before anything else, that: screams. Yells. Jumps up and down! And says a wicked storm is coming my way!

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@bazzinga1234

I’m so sorry you are suffering from terrible pain. I know what it’s like. May I ask you what is your diagnosis...what’s causing you excruciating pain when sitting? I have similar pain coming from a pinched nerve in L4.

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So sorry for this late reply. I didn’t see it until now as I was going through my emails to delete them. The intervertebraes between L2 to L5 have collapsed from a degenerative disease called SAPHO although I don't have all the symptoms so that causes alot of pain when I sit straight up on a regular chair of stand for more than 5 minutes. T12 has collapsed 80 percent and t10 and t11 are eroding which has caused my spine to incur kyphosis. My surgeon is most likely going to need to remove and replace all vertebraes from L2 or 3 to T10 with a cage and someone else's vertebrae. Its a very scary surgery for me. I am having another CT scan and xray for scoliosis to see where things are with my spine before surgery. Are you having surgery to alleviate your pinched nerve?

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I experience same with being human weather barometer, know it's going to rain at least 5 hours before it gets here. Have neuropathy in feet along with arthritis, toes are numb when I stand in one position for a minute or more fall forward so always stand next to something and brace one knee against it. Have bad back but told too old 85 for surgery so I get sympathetic nerve blocker injections and they work for 6 to 9 months then time for more. When my husband was alive we left NW Indiana for warmer places like Arizona, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and always felt so much better, Florida, South Carolina too damp. Falls led to knee replacement (still hurts) shoulder and hip (both good) told to just keep moving as much as possible, but the more I walk the more feet/ankle and legs swell so have to just ignore as much as possible.

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@suev

So sorry for this late reply. I didn’t see it until now as I was going through my emails to delete them. The intervertebraes between L2 to L5 have collapsed from a degenerative disease called SAPHO although I don't have all the symptoms so that causes alot of pain when I sit straight up on a regular chair of stand for more than 5 minutes. T12 has collapsed 80 percent and t10 and t11 are eroding which has caused my spine to incur kyphosis. My surgeon is most likely going to need to remove and replace all vertebraes from L2 or 3 to T10 with a cage and someone else's vertebrae. Its a very scary surgery for me. I am having another CT scan and xray for scoliosis to see where things are with my spine before surgery. Are you having surgery to alleviate your pinched nerve?

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Wife had spinal surgery to fuse three vertebrae in the lower lumbar portion in June. Metal rods used to stabilize them and rebuild them with a mix of cadaver bone and her bones. Also had some grinding where a nerve root was impinged causing pain in her legs. Still recovering - doctors say about a year is required.

Where this comes into play on this topic is that weather changes are very difficult for her (hopefully this is a short term thing) and she mentioned moving south (from Minnesota) for the winter. But just about everywhere has warm/cold fronts, low/high barometric pressure changes and of course, precipitation.

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Sorry to hear this. Sounds like what I will need to do as well.. a year recovery from the surgery in terms of healing and pain? I was told its 8 days in the hospital if no infection and 2 months in rehab. Why do you think the weather is negatively affecting her? Because of the metal rods or the surgery in general?

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