"My knee aches. Will it rain?" Joints forecast the weather

Song Sang-ho, Wellton Hospital President

By Song Sang-ho

Wellton Hospital President

The autumn has come and the weather is getting cold. A lot of people are complaining of painful knees.

The truth is that joints are sensitive to temperature and weather. People have pain in their joints when it is rainy and getting cold, especially when the temperature suddenly drops or when the season is changing. It is the time when patients who have arthritis should be careful.

When the temperature falls, the body needs to consume a lot of energy. But on the other hand, some parts of the body function are reduced so as not to consume too much. During the process the blood circulation slows down.

However, if the blood circulation in the knee area is not even, the muscles and ligaments which support the joint become stiff. The muscles and ligaments in the knee area help to reduce stress on the joint, but they cannot support them enough when they become stiff and the joint experiences stress. The knee joint fluid, which acts as a lubricant, also becomes thicker when the temperature goes down. As a result, the friction between the bones increases and cell metabolism slows down. That’s why people feel pain in their knees.

It is not only the temperature that matters here. Atmospheric pressure and humidity can produce the joint pain. That’s why a lot of patients feel joint pain in the rainy season. During this, the atmospheric pressure drops while the humidity level goes up to between 30 and 80 percent. When atmospheric pressure drops, the pressure inside the joints goes up and the tissues nearby become more active. Consequently, the inner part of the joints gets bigger and stimulates the nerves. The area becomes painful and numb. Also, too much humidity in the air blocks moisture inside the joints from coming out, worsening the pain.

Hence, when some people say “My knee aches. It’s going to rain,” it makes sense. Doctors understand it. Before it rains, the humidity level goes up, atmospheric pressure drops, and we know what will happen.

As the weather is changeable every minute, it is hard to prevent and manage the pain in the joint. Some people just ignore it, thinking that it is natural to have problems in their knees when they get older. However, if you leave the problem, the knee pain and damage will only worsen.

It is important to see a doctor when arthritis symptoms begin. When the weather is getting cold and windy, patients should take care of their blood circulation. Arthritis patients should be especially careful and put on underwear before going out when it’s cold. They are also recommended to wear pads to warm their knees.

They should keep their knees warm indoors as well. Taking a shower and bath can help keep the blood circulation optimal. A hot pack is useful in relieving joint pain and an ice pack will help cooling down when the knee has swollen.

Exercise is also useful in relieving pain. When patient is exercising it helps to remove bodily waste from the area between the cartilage cells and it improves the arthritis pain. If the patient has strong muscles and ligaments they feel less pain. Exercise that won’t put too much pressure on your joints such as swimming, aquarobics, indoor cycling, and walking are recommended. However, excessive exercise isn’t helpful. It is recommended that they take regular exercise for 30 minutes three to four times a week. It is always good to do stretching for 10 to 15 minutes beforehand.

It is hard to control the weather, but we can keep our joints healthy with a little effort. The temperature inside the house should be around 26 to 28 degree Celsius. If you are using a dehumidifier, it is better to keep the humidity level at 50 percent. People say that you should “Keep your health while you are healthy.” The same goes with joints. Once the joints get damaged, it is hard to recover. It is time for people to look after their joints for a healthy and happy life after retirement.