26
January
2016
|
09:52
Europe/London

Cloudy with a chance of pain!

  • The world's first smartphone-based study to investigate the association between pain and the weather
  • Anyone in the UK with arthritis or chronic pain and aged over 17 can take part
  • The information could be used for generating pain forecasts, allowing people to plan their weekly activities
Cloudy app

It’s a mystery that’s perplexed people for over 2,000 years, but now University of Manchester scientists are on the verge of working out if the weather affects pain in people with arthritis and other conditions, all thanks to the British public and their smartphones.

Cloudy with a Chance of Pain, which launches today (26 January) is the world's first smartphone-based study to investigate the association between pain and the weather. The study will be carried out during 2016 using a smartphone platform called uMotif which people will use to record how they’re feeling, whilst local weather data is automatically collected using the phone's GPS.

Anyone in the UK with arthritis or chronic pain and aged over 17 can take part. All participants need is a smartphone.

Click here to download the app and take part.

Dr Will Dixon, Director of The University of Manchester’s Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, came up with the idea. He said: “This question has been around for more than 2,000 years, but it’s only now with widespread modern technology that we have the ability to answer it.

“And we’re not just inviting people to submit data – we want their ideas about the association between weather and pain too. We will be running a big citizen science experiment where anyone can explore the data and try and spot patterns and relationships in the data. We’ll gather ideas and theories from everyone to come up the best possible conclusion.”

The University of Manchester research is supported by Arthritis Research UK, uMotif in London, and the Office for Creative Research in New York. It is being carried out in association with the University’s Health e-Research Centre.

Those who choose to use the uMotif app will record their symptoms each day, which will be tied into automatically collected local weather information. Even people who don’t have pain will be able to participate by browsing through the data and submitting their own ideas.

Once the project ends in January 2017, the research team will also carry out a formal analysis and hope to use the information for generating pain forecasts, allowing people to plan their weekly activities.

Stephen Simpson, Director of Research & Programmes at Arthritis Research UK said: “Many people with arthritis believe that changes in the weather affect the level of pain they experience, however there is currently no scientific evidence to support this relationship.

“This exciting study will for the first time enable us to investigate the link between pain and the weather. We’re delighted to support this project and we hope that the use of the uMotif app will help encourage a wide group of participants to take part, both in terms of submitting their data but also examining the results themselves to help our scientists reach a conclusion.”

Dr Dixon added: “People taking part in this study will be helping to answer a question that even the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, couldn’t resolve, and which hasn’t been resolved since. That’s what epidemiology is all about – drawing patterns and inspiration from large groups of people to provide insights which we couldn’t otherwise achieve –this time with the help of their smartphones.”

Follow the project on Twitter @CloudyPain

Click here to download the app and take part.

This question has been around for more than 2,000 years, but it’s only now with widespread modern technology that we have the ability to answer it.
Dr Will Dixon
Comments 1 - 20 (25)
Thank you for your message. It will be posted after approval.
Marie
18
April
2017
My former managing director used to complain of aches each time he was in the uk when he never got it in Montreal when -30c. He said it was the humidity level. Would be interesting to see if people in warm coutries with high level of humidity suffer as much.
Marie
18
April
2017
It might be the level of humidity and not the weather itself. My former managing director from Canada used to complain each time he was staying here how he ached whereas in Montreal even when -30c no pain. It would interesting to know if people in warm countries with high level of humidity have the same issue.
Philippa Peacock
09
September
2016
In my opinion pain is to do with the levels of acid and alkaline in your body. This can be tested with Ph strips. We all need to balance our bodies. I had terrible pains in my hands - my body was totally out of balance. Now that I have regained my Ph of 7 my pain is almost gone. And I thank the Lord that I didn't take any awful pills that doctors prescribe as that would have made my body more acid. Also having the right ph level stops you from getting other illnesses. The doctors still don't know why my hands hurt so much for the past four months.
Philippa Peacock
09
September
2016
New Zealand and Australia have a far higher incidence of arthritis than the UK does - UK 13% A & NW 15-34%. They also have very constant temperatures. New Zealand has a mild climate without any seasons and Australia is very hot.

Some people suffering from arthritis suffer more from the cold and some suffer more from heat. Some treatments are to put your hands in freezing water and some treatments are to use something hot to warm them up.

A lot of people find that they feel more pain when they are in bed. When you are in bed the temperature is usually fairly constant as you are not moving from one environment to another. Perhaps one idea might be to change the temperature, at different periods, in the room when you are in bed - timed heating.

In my opinion, the study needs to be world wide one.
Jennifer Berry
09
September
2016
I nearly always dry my hands very thoroughly as I find that otherwise on the following day I experience aching pain in my hands. I have low blood pressure and hands can feel cold at any time of year, but they only ache if left damp/wet. I was alarmed seeing a friend (in her fifties) with hands knarled with arthritis just shaking her hands dry rather than properly drying them and wondered if symptoms would have been less if she had regularly dried them properly. As a teenager once experienced severe aching of legs when out in heavy rain. Don't experience regular pain and have no I-phone.
Natalie Elliott
08
September
2016
I have a disease called CRPS /RSD - Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and also Fibromyalgia.The weather most definitely affects the pain levels in my body.
Jackie Burns
08
September
2016
I have had both knee joints replaced due to arthritis, and all my joints seem to ache more in damp weather. Also I have mild asthma which exacerbates with cold or damp weather.)
Kathy Tyrrell
03
April
2016
I have osteoarthritis in both knees and this can be very painful at all times. I struggle from day to day with extreme pain. I also have a AchillesTendinophy in both ankles which don't help the situation either. Also struggling with an shoulder impingement on my right shoulder as well.
Kellie Bernsen
05
February
2016
I have TN. ATN,
Ann Grundy
04
February
2016
I too suffer from fibromyalgia hate winter months feel so lifeless want too sleep all the time take more pain killers in these months
Christine
03
February
2016
Will this app work on an iPad?
Claire Deakin
03
February
2016
The weather makes a big difference to me. I have Lupus , reynaulds , osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Symptoms are always worse when the weather goes very cold / wet.
Mrs Amanda curnow
03
February
2016
I suffer from asthma and just recently been diagnosed with copd. I am 47 years old and I certainly find the weather can trigger my symptoms.
Alan Williams
03
February
2016
I have rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. I find it more painful in the summer when I is really hot. Although it is painful in extreme cold.
Joanne Webb
03
February
2016
I have fybromyalgia and degenerative spine disease. I am in incredible pain during the winter months even though i take morphine, codeine,gabapenthin and amitriptyline. As soon as the weather warms up I'm a lot better and whilst abroad I'm like a different person.
John Divine
03
February
2016
I have osteoarthritis and know that changes in temperature make a difference to the level of pain I have. I would like to take part in this study.
Hazel Robinson
03
February
2016
I have psoriatic arthritis and take methotrexate and also once a week Enbrel injections. I know the weather in the north east where I live does affect my symptoms. I would be pleased to take part
Paul Bryant
03
February
2016
I suffer severe pain in scar tissue as a result of heart bypass surgery the pain is always worst with dramatic changes in air pressure / weather conditions would reporting via the app be any good I do not suffer from arthritis
Annalize Gill
03
February
2016
I suffer from Fybromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and arthritis ...the cold and damp are horrendous for people who have these conditions.
Karen Tracey
03
February
2016
Yes cold damp weather gives me chronic pain

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