When temperatures drop or rainclouds start to gather in the sky, many people claim to feel these weather changes in their bones. Some may swear that old injuries start to flare up, while others afflicted with existing musculoskeletal problems may suddenly complain of aching joints.
What’s the explanation for this unusual sensation shared by so many? Scientists have been searching for an answer to this question for years, but to this day, the link between weather and pain still hasn’t been fully unraveled. However, previous research has pointed to fluctuating air pressure, humidity, and wind speed as potential factors that lead to increased pain levels in certain people.
Read More: Old Wives’ Tales to Predict Weather: What’s Based in Science and What’s Just Folklore?
Less Pressure, More Pain
If you suffer from joint aches during cold or wet weather, there’s a chance that the root cause may be a change in barometric pressure, which measures the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on Earth’s surface.
A decrease in barometric pressure occurs when a cold front passes through an area, causing dense, cold air (which sinks) to push under moist, warm air (which rises) and force it upward. The displaced warm air then cools and condenses to form clouds, bringing stormy weather and a sudden drop in temperature.
Decreased barometric pressure during a cold front means less pressure is pushing on our bodies; this may sound like a good thing, but it is often associated with aggravated pain in those with musculoskeletal conditions, as the lack of compression on the joints can cause muscles, tendons, and other tissues to expand. Pressure changes and cold weather can also alter the consistency of synovial fluid, which acts as a sort of liquid cushion for joints by reducing friction between them.
Stress and Stiffness in Cold Weather
Those diagnosed with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia are likely to be the ones who feel the most pain from drops in barometric pressure.
This is shown in a 2019 study in PLOS One that collected self-reported pain levels from 48 patients with fibromyalgia, a chronic health condition that causes pain in tissues all throughout the body. The study participants reported their pain and emotional state via mobile phone messages, which were linked with meteorological data corresponding with the time of the reports.
The study found that lower barometric pressure was associated with increased pain level in the majority of participants. However, it was also associated with increased stress levels. The researchers suggest that this could mean changes in barometric pressure somehow affect stress levels in certain individuals, potentially raising pain levels.
Cold weather can lead to stiffness and discomfort in others who have existing injuries as well, including past fractures, sprains, torn ligaments, or muscle strains. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as tissue swelling that puts pressure on nerves, blood vessel constriction, or muscle tightening.
Cold temperatures aren’t the only weather change that causes pain. Studies have shown that higher humidity (also associated with a drop in barometric pressure) exacerbates a range of health issues, from arthritis to migraines.
An Uncertain Forecast
Even though this problem seems so widespread, many scientists note that the link between weather and pain is hazy and that there are still a lot of unknowns. Research on this subject has yielded mixed results in the past, failing to come to a true consensus.
Conflicting studies have even pushed back against the idea that weather directly induces pain. A 2024 review in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism looked over existing international studies on weather and musculoskeletal pain, finding no significant connections between meteorological conditions and an increase in risk of knee, hip, or lower back pain symptoms.
Saying you can predict when a storm will strike based on joint pain may be a slight exaggeration, but there’s no denying that many people still identify pain with weather changes. For now, though, the problem can only be chalked up to theories.
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
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