Re-do

[Guest guest]

The previous link did not work. Here's the cut and paste version:

APLAR Journal of Rheumatology

Volume 7 Issue 3 Page 204  - November 2004

doi:10.1111/j.1479-8077.2004.00099.x

 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Weather changes and pain in rheumatology patients

NG1, SCOTT1, Ashish TANEJA1, GOW1 and Ashmita

GOSAI2

 Abstract

Objective: Many rheumatology patients report exacerbation of joint symptoms

with weather changes. We report the first of a two-part study on the influence

of weather on rheumatological conditions. This survey aims to describe

perceived weather sensitivity in our patient population.

Methods: Two hundred rheumatology patients seen consecutively in a tertiary

hospital were given a 10-item questionnaire (son). This questionnaire

has been well validated with good test-retest reliability (r = 0.91) and ability

to

distinguish patients with weather sensitivity. New patients and soft tissue

clinic patients were not included.

Results: Seventy-four percent of patients reported weather sensitivity, with

humidity and low temperature reported most frequently as being associated

with worsening of symptoms (66% and 72%, respectively). Seventy percent of

weather sensitive subjects described pain exacerbation prior and/or during

weather changes. Various rheumatological conditions had similar rates of

weather sensitivity, except fibromyalgia which reported 100% weather

sensitivity.

Conclusion: A significant proportion of rheumatology patients report weather

sensitivities. Further studies would be useful to further explore actual versus

perceived effects of weather as this may have behavioural, housing and

medical implications. Our discussion includes a brief summary of current

literature and various postulates why patients may have increased weather

sensitivity.