Arthritis Research Papers
Arthritis is a condition that affects nearly 20% of adults in the United States.1 The term encompasses a number of specific conditions, including the most common: osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis leads to discomfort and joint pain, which may also contribute to harmful sedentary behaviors.1 The high prevalence of osteoarthritis has spurred many studies into how medication and lifestyle changes can relieve potentially persistent joint pain. One controversial aspect of arthritis research is the impact of weather on pain levels. Anecdotally, there is a commonly held position that arthritis symptoms worsen in cold, wet conditions. However, scientific studies into how environmental conditions such as humidity, ambient temperature, and barometric pressure
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The researchers attributed these findings to “selective matching”, in which patients amplify experiences that meet their own expectations (like pain that comes with rain) and ignore evidences that contradict this expectation.3 However, this study had major limitations. The study used extremely small sample sizes (n=18, and n=97) and did not specifically blind participants to the focus of the study. Additionally, participants were all from the same geographic area, which meant that the same weather conditions data was used. In response to this paper, several more papers have been published that aim to address the shortcomings of the 1996 paper. In one 2003 paper in which participants were blinded to the research question, it was determined that weather might be modestly associated with osteoarthritic pain, although the paper failed to control for extraneous causes of pain and potential medication use.4 In one of the most extensive papers I reviewed, a myriad of measures were taken to address the potential problems in the 1996 paper. This 2007 study, Changes in Barometric Pressure and Ambient Temperature Influence Osteoarthritis Pain, surveyed a geographically diverse range of subjects in short term and long term increments, did not disclose the study of weather as a research question, and used the well validated WOMAC pain scale to prevent variations in pain reporting that may
The researchers attributed these findings to “selective matching”, in which patients amplify experiences that meet their own expectations (like pain that comes with rain) and ignore evidences that contradict this expectation.3 However, this study had major limitations. The study used extremely small sample sizes (n=18, and n=97) and did not specifically blind participants to the focus of the study. Additionally, participants were all from the same geographic area, which meant that the same weather conditions data was used. In response to this paper, several more papers have been published that aim to address the shortcomings of the 1996 paper. In one 2003 paper in which participants were blinded to the research question, it was determined that weather might be modestly associated with osteoarthritic pain, although the paper failed to control for extraneous causes of pain and potential medication use.4 In one of the most extensive papers I reviewed, a myriad of measures were taken to address the potential problems in the 1996 paper. This 2007 study, Changes in Barometric Pressure and Ambient Temperature Influence Osteoarthritis Pain, surveyed a geographically diverse range of subjects in short term and long term increments, did not disclose the study of weather as a research question, and used the well validated WOMAC pain scale to prevent variations in pain reporting that may