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Weather and Arthritis Pain
Does weather affect
arthritis pain?
Robert H. Shmerling,
MD
Senior
Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Medical myths die hard. Maybe that’s
because there’s no agreement on whether a common belief is indeed a myth.
For example, there’s the longstanding
belief that weather affects arthritis pain.
Many of my patients notice a clear
connection; some are so convinced of the link, they believe they can predict
the weather better than the TV meteorologists. And maybe that’s true.
But that’s not what the science says.
A recent study finds no connection between
rainy weather and symptoms of back or joint pain. This conclusion was based on
a staggering amount of data: more than 11 million medical visits occurring on
more than two million rainy days and nine million dry days.
Not only was there no clear pattern linking
rainy days and more aches and pains, but there were slightly more visits on dry
days.
Still not convinced? That’s understandable.
Maybe it’s not rain or shine that matters —
maybe it’s barometric pressure, changes in weather, or humidity that matters
most.
Or maybe the study missed some key
information, such as when symptoms began or got worse — after all, it can take
days or even weeks after symptoms begin to see a doctor.
What
does past research say about weather and arthritis pain?
The question of whether there’s a link
between weather and aches and pains has been studied extensively.
While a definitive answer is nearly
impossible to provide — because it’s hard to “prove a negative” (prove that
something doesn’t exist) — researchers have been unable to make a strong case
for a strong connection.
For example, a 2014 study in Australia found
no link between back pain and rain, temperature, humidity, or air pressure.
This study collected data regarding
features of the weather at the time of first symptoms, and compared it to the
weather a week and a month before.
But, an earlier study found that among 200
patients followed for three months, knee pain increased modestly when
temperature fell or barometric pressure rose.
Does
research matter when you have personal experience?
That’s a fair
question. And it’s something I’ve even heard in TV commercials about headache
medicines: “I don’t care about the
research. I just know what works for me.”
But it’s worth remembering that humans have
a remarkable tendency to remember when two things occur or change together
(such as wet, gloomy weather and joint pain), but remember less when things do
not occur together.
That rainy day when you felt no better or
worse is unlikely to be so notable that you remember it.
If you rely solely on memory rather than on
more rigorous, data-based evidence, it’s easy to conclude a link exists where,
in fact, none does.
In
conclusion…
It’s true: medical myths die hard.
In fact, some seem immortal. One could
argue that’s as it should be.
After all, yesterday’s medical myth is only
one discovery away from becoming tomorrow’s medical fact.
Still, when the evidence is compelling, I
think we’d be better off letting go of what’s been disproven, give more
credence to evidence than folklore, and keep an open mind — just in case the
evidence changes.
When my patients tell me they can predict
the weather by how their joints feel, I believe them.
It’s hard to discount it when so many
people notice a connection. They could represent an exception to what the
studies show.
But I also believe the science. Until I see evidence that’s even more compelling, I remain a skeptic about the weather/arthritis connection.
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Senior
Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Robert
H. Shmerling, MD, is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology
at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and an associate professor of
medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He served for more than two
decades as the Robinson Firm Chief in the teaching program of the BIDMC
internal medicine residency. As a practicing rheumatologist for over 30 years,
Dr. Shmerling engaged in a mix of patient care, teaching, and research. His
practice included challenging patients, both in the clinic and the inpatient
consultation service. His research interests center on diagnostic studies in
patients with musculoskeletal symptoms, rheumatic, and autoimmune diseases. He
has published research regarding infectious arthritis and how well diagnostic
tests perform in patients with suspected rheumatic disease. Having retired from
patient care in 2019, Dr. Shmerling now works as a Senior Faculty Editor for
Harvard Health Publishing.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/does-weather-affect-arthritis-pain-2019011715789
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