This subject comes up quite often this time of year in my North Scottsdale AZ chiropractic clinic. My patients can always tell it’s monsoon season in my office because the reception room fills up. Many patients do not put the connection between their pain flare-ups and the change in the barometer. Basically, when the barometer changes, so do the fluid in your joints.

Inflammatory conditions, especially arthritis, may feel much worse during times of weather changes. Back up north, it is usually during times of snowstorms. Down here in the Valley, pain generally worsens during the rainy seasons. In a lot of cases, pain increases, and the range of motion decreases. The synovial fluid in your joints is perfectly pressurized in the joint capsule. When inflammation arises, like in the different types of arthritis, the pressure builds up. This pressure causes the fluid to take up more room, and other soft tissues swell also, taking up more room. This can cause pressure on nerves causing pain. It’s not exactly that simple, but without going into major detail, that’s the basic idea.

Is There A Way To Reduce The Pain During Barometric Pressure Changes In North Scottsdale AZ?

Yes. For years, I’ve recommended my patients take a salt bath to help compensate for the pressure changes in their joints. This is how it works. Salt goes from a high concentration to a low concentration. When you get into a high salt concentration bath, the salt will rush into the inflamed cells. The salt will then flush out the inflammatory fluids from the joints and affected cells. This, in turn, relieves the pressure on nerves that are causing the pain. It is not necessary to take anti-inflammatory medications for weather-related aches and pains. Just give it a few hours, and you should feel better. Usually, if you take a salt bath before bed, you feel much better in the morning. You also don’t have to have weather-related pain. This also works for any bath you take. If you take 2 baths, for the same amount of time, with the same amount of water, in the same temperature, one with the salt and the other without, you’ll feel better after the salt bath pretty much every time.

How do I Know How Much Salt To Put Into The Tub?

It’s tough to get enough salt to make a supersaturated salt solution in a bathtub by just adding Epsom salt or other therapeutic salts to the bath. What happens is, that the salt doesn’t dissolve, and just sits on the bottom of the tub while you sit on it like sand. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it wastes a lot of salt, as it's not even dissolving properly to do the job you want it to do. Here’s a quick tip. Depending on the size of your bathtub, (not a hot tub) take at least 2-4 cups of salt, (maybe more) and dissolve it in a saucepan of water by boiling it on the stove. Cool it down to a comfortable temperature, about 102-103 degrees, and then pour it into your bath. This way, you have a saltier solution, and will get much better results from your bath! Always be aware of any blood pressure issues you may have, and consult with your doctor first if you have hypertension.

I hope this helps to understand how the weather really can affect your joints and muscles during weather changes. Please be patient with yourself during the monsoon season, and realize that you’ll feel a bit better once the weather moves out of the area. If your pain doesn’t resolve, or you just can’t stand the pain, please call my office so I can examine you, and diagnose exactly what might be going on.

For any questions on inflammatory conditions and the programs that I offer, please call my office for a complimentary consultation.

For questions on any of my articles, please email me at DrLeisa@CaringPainRelief.com or contact my office at (480) 584-3955.