Weather and joint pain: Any connection?

Is there any truth to the common belief that cold, damp weather worsens arthritis pain?

Answer:

Many studies have explored the relationship between joint pain and weather changes, such as barometric pressure, temperature and humidity. Although both anecdotal and scientific evidence suggest that a connection exists, it has not been proven.

Your joints are lined with a membrane (synovium) that secretes a lubricating fluid (synovial fluid). In arthritis, particularly inflammatory types such as rheumatoid arthritis, the amount of fluid increases. Theoretically, changes in barometric pressure could affect the fluid in joints if, for example, a chemical in the joint increased — causing inflammation — when pressure rose and fell. But there's no conclusive evidence that supports this theory.

One recent study suggests that changes in barometric pressure and cooler temperatures are associated with joint pain. Still, other studies have found no connection or contradictory results — some people have increased pain with low barometric pressure and others have increased pain with high pressure. The reason for these discrepancies isn't clear.

Researchers have also studied the effect of weather changes, such as temperature and humidity, on pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and lower back pain. But results so far are inconclusive.

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