[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/can-past-injuries-help-predict-weather\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/can-past-injuries-help-predict-weather\/","headline":"Can Past Injuries Help Predict the Weather?","name":"Can Past Injuries Help Predict the Weather?","description":"If your knee acts up when a snow storm is approaching, or you feel a twinge in your shoulder when rain is on the horizon, you\u2019re not alone. Many people say their old sports injuries help indicate impending weather. However, opinions in the medical field vary on whether or not this is an accurate forecast. […]","datePublished":"2014-03-15","dateModified":"2018-08-29","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","name":"Sports Medicine","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/sports-medicine\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/man-clutching-sore-shoulder.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/man-clutching-sore-shoulder.png","height":527,"width":791},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/can-past-injuries-help-predict-weather\/","about":["Living and Wellness","Sports Medicine"],"wordCount":269,"keywords":["knee","pain","shoulder","Spine and Pain Center","sports injury","weather","ZongFu Chen MD"],"articleBody":"If your knee acts up when a snow storm is approaching, or you feel a twinge in your shoulder when rain is on the horizon, you\u2019re not alone. Many people say their old sports injuries help indicate impending weather. However, opinions in the medical field vary on whether or not this is an accurate forecast.\u201cThere is some data suggesting that a drop in barometric pressure can cause pain, but the link is not entirely understood,\u201d says ZongFu Chen, MD, co-director of the Spine and Pain Center at UPMC East. \u201cIndividuals with arthritis caused by a previous injury tend to notice the change in pressure, while others with a prior injury but no arthritis might not. Cold temperatures can often make muscles more tense, which can also cause pain at the site of an old injury. So a patient may notice more pain particularly during the winter months.\u201dDr. Chen advises that most weather-related aches and pains can be relieved with over-the-counter medication or heating pads. However, he cautions that people should not be too quick to blame their ailment on the winter weather, and to aware that an injury flare-up could need further medical attention.\u201cIf the pain becomes more severe over time, the cause could be something more serious,\u201d says Dr. Chen. \u201cListen to your body. You can often tell when it is no longer just routine aches and pains. There are many treatments available that can help make winter a lot more tolerable.\u201dFor more information or to schedule an appointment with a specialist at the UPMC East Spine and Pain Center, call 412-374-7302"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2014","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Can Past Injuries Help Predict the Weather?","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/can-past-injuries-help-predict-weather\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]