Does the weather affect back pain?
Some patients with back pain state that they feel more pain when the weather changes. One explanation may be the variation in atmospheric pressure. Within the joints, including the facetary joint there is a vacuum (zero pressure). This vacuum helps the bones to stay together. The fall in atmospheric pressure may produce a suction effect which aggravates the inflammation in the area. This would explain the onset or aggravation of pain when atmospheric pressure is reduced, that is, a few hours before the weather changes. On the other hand, in those cases in which pain is due to an organic alteration of the spine, weather variations may help to increase the pain felt by the patient, but do not aggravate the alteration which causes such pain.
