一直有天气变化会诱发背疼的说法，但今天《Arthritis Care & Research》上的一篇文章否认了这种关联，认为背痛的发作和天气无关。
原文: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/PressRelease/pressReleaseId-111044.html
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结果表明背痛和温度，湿度，气压，风速方向或降水之间没有关联。然而，高的风速和阵风有略微增加腰背痛的几率，但增加的量无显著性临床意义。
“我们的研究结果反驳了先前持有的信念---某些常见的气候下会增加腰痛的风险，”斯蒂芬斯博士总结道。 “而气候对某些特定的疾病，如纤维肌痛，类风湿性关节炎，骨关节炎等症状的影响则需进一步的研究。”
A collision on the soccer pitch can cause serious back pain. The weather can’t.
(Fabrizio Bensch / AFP-Getty Images)
插图via: http://www.washingtonpost.com/the-weather-has-nothing-to-do-with-your-back-pain/
Low Back Pain? Don’t Blame the Weather
Australian researchers reveal that sudden, acute episodes of low back pain are not linked to weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction and precipitation. Findings published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), indicate that the risk of low back pain slightly increases with higher wind speed or wind gusts, but was not clinically significant.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) nearly everyone experiences low back pain at some point in their life, making it the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition and affecting up to 33% of the world population at any given time. Those with musculoskeletal (bone, muscle, ligament, tendon, and nerve) pain report that their symptoms are influenced by the weather. Previous studies have shown that cold or humid weather, and changes in the weather increase symptoms in patients with chronic pain conditions.
“Many patients believe that weather impacts their pain symptoms,” explains Dr. Daniel Steffens with the George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney, Australia. “However, there are few robust studies investigating weather and pain, specifically research that does not rely on patient recall of the weather.”
For the present case-crossover study 993 patients seen at primary care clinics in Sydney were recruited between October 2011 and November 2012. Weather data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology were sourced for the duration of the study period. Researchers compared the weather at the time patients first noticed back pain (case window) with weather conditions one week and one month before the onset of pain (control windows).
Results showed no association between back pain and temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction or precipitation. However, higher wind speed and wind gusts did slightly increase the chances of lower back pain, but the amount of increase was not clinically important.
“Our findings refute previously held beliefs that certain common weather conditions increase risk of lower back pain,” concludes Dr. Steffens. “Further investigation of the influence of weather parameters on symptoms associated with specific diseases such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis are needed.”
