Allergies don’t just mean a runny nose, itchy eyes and congestion and difficult breathing for everyone. For some Americans seasonal allergies can bring joint, back and neck pain along with them!
In certain cases, symptoms can appear related and even logically follow one another. Obviously if your coughing and sneezing hard for days at a time your back, neck, shoulders and hips are going to feel it as much as your throat and chest do. In other situations the connection may be more difficult to discern and could go unnoticed for years. They may be related to weather, or use injuries (think about shoveling snow in northern climates, a sudden rush to do neglected yard work in Arizona once the heat breaks, etc.). But some symptoms like non-allergic rhinitis and joint pain can be brought on by of all things: changes in temperature, humidity and barometric pressure.
“I Feel It In My Bones”
As the air takes on a chill (What Arizona defines as a chill may be a summer vacation in Wyoming.)* it’s only natural to see flare-ups of arthritis, joint and muscular pain. The old adage is quite true, and the Seasonality of joint and back pain is something our grandparents have warned us about for centuries. It just isn’t something many people think about.
But more directly related to Seasonal allergies is the source of most pain: inflammation. And few realize that widespread inflammation throughout the body is common when your system is trying to purge and allergen.
According to the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania,
“For starters, it is possible to experience joint pain with a cold. Because both allergies and a cold cause similar symptoms, such as a runny nose and sneezing, itchy eyes and throat, and stuffy nose, some people confuse a cold with allergies.
Colds are typically accompanied by a sore throat and coughing, and maybe even a fever and body aches in your neck. However, some people who suffer from inflammation because of their allergies experience joint pain as the body attempts to flush out the allergen.
Another potential link is that allergies can lead to fatigue, which can also make sore joints feel worse. Changes in weather can also lead to joint pain. This is especially true for cold and damp climates and weather-related changes that coincide with seasonal allergies.
Muscle and joint pain can be a coexisting problem resulting from arthritis, Lyme disease and certain immune disorders. It can also be linked to bursitis and osteoporosis. There are other potential causes as well.
If you experience sneezing and coughing as a result of your allergies, you may suffer from muscle, joint and neck pain due to the repeated sneezing or coughing. Seasonal allergies can also make you feel tired, which can ultimately make your symptoms worse.
If you’re not sure whether your joint pain is caused by allergies, the best way to distinguish symptoms is to take a short course of antihistamines. You can take antihistamines for a week to determine whether allergies may be a source for your pain.”
On the more clinical and scientific side of things while there is a preponderance of anecdotal evidence and stories from our elders there is also a scientific basis for the relationship between changes in weather and season and joint, back, neck and muscle pain. Many experts are coming to the conclusion that oncoming rain, which is preceded by a precipitous drop in atmospheric pressure that may impact joint tissue. The change of barometric pressure may cause muscles and tendons to expand and contract thereby applying or reducing the pressure on joints. Furthermore, lower temperatures may thicken fluids in the joints causing them to stiffen and be more painful.
If simple home remedies like a warm bath, restful sleep or keeping up on your exercise when the weather changes doesn’t help then it’s worthwhile to check in with your pain specialist to make sure that you aren’t suffering needlessly as the seasons change.
Find your nearest location in Peoria, Phoenix or North Scottsdale today and don’t put this off any longer. Unaddressed chronic or severely acute back, neck and joint pain generally don’t improve. Call our Phoenix location at 623.580.4357 , you can reach Peoria at 623.776.8686 or contact us in North Scottsdale at 480.786.1771.
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