THE RELATIONSHIP OF DIAGNOSES AND WEATHER SENSITIVITY IN CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS

CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS often report weather sensitivity. Although case studies based on a single ailment or diagnosis have been described, very little research has been done to categorize a range of diagnoses influenced by climatic conditions. To assess this relationship, demographic and diagnostic data on 97 patients with chronic pain were correlated with responses indicating the effect of the weather on each patient's pain. Results demonstrated that weather consistently worsened pain for certain diagnoses. Percentages of patients affected were as follows: unstable lumbar spine (100%), bulging disc (85%), carpal tunnel syndrome (78%), neural foraminal stenosis (78%), degenerative disc disease (78%), thoracic outlet syndrome (76%), facet disease (74%), radiculopathy (73%), and spondylosis (73%). Patients least affected included those with diffuse myofascial syndrome (50%) and temporal mandibular joint syndrome (58%). In general, those patients most frequently reporting weather-sensitive pain, had a neural and/or bony component as the etiology of their pain conditions. Those with muscular pain reported less frequently the effect of weather on their pain.