Why Does Everything Hurt More When It Rains?

I often hear people say how they wish they could just stay snuggled up in bed on rainy days. I feel that way too, but not just because it feels warm and cozy. My body aches more when it rains.

My back hates the rain. Just sitting up in bed takes a bit longer and hurts a bit more than on sunny days. My fingers take time to warm up and get moving. My typing is a bit slower. My grip isn’t as strong and I frequently drop things. 

It’s pouring today and this morning I had to go out for work. I was wet and cold which was bad enough, but it’s the extra stiffness that’s the worst. I’m grateful for heated seats and the warmth they give my back. 

I don’t know if science actually supports that rain makes autoimmune issues worse, but my body says it does.

 From the Practice

Patients have been telling rheumatologists for years that they can feel changes in the weather in their joints. The connection between rain and arthritis pain has been studied for years, but the science behind that experience is more complicated than simply saying, “Rain makes arthritis worse.”

Researchers have studied temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, rainfall and other weather conditions to determine whether they correspond with changes in pain, stiffness and disease activity. So far, the results have been mixed.

Some studies have found small associations between certain weather conditions and symptoms. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of rheumatoid arthritis research, for example, found associations between lower temperatures and increased tender-joint counts and between lower atmospheric pressure and increased swollen-joint counts. However, when researchers looked specifically at pain, they found no significant overall association with temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity or wind speed.

Another large systematic review involving more than 15,000 people found no association between changes in humidity, air pressure, temperature or precipitation and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis pain episodes.

That doesn't necessarily mean someone's experience of feeling worse when the weather changes isn't real.

One of the challenges researchers have found is that weather sensitivity may vary considerably from person to person. Some people with rheumatoid arthritis appear to experience changes in symptoms associated with weather conditions, while others don't. When everyone is studied together, those individual responses can be difficult to see.

There's also an important distinction between experiencing more pain or stiffness and having increased autoimmune disease activity. Researchers have investigated whether weather affects measures of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity as well, but those results have also been inconsistent. Some studies have found associations with factors such as humidity, while others have found little or no relationship with objective measures of disease activity.

And “rain” isn't a single weather condition. A rainy day can bring changes in temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure at the same time. Our behavior may change too. We may move less, spend more time indoors or tense our muscles when we're cold and wet. That makes it difficult to identify exactly what might be responsible for a change in symptoms.

So, can science tell us that rain causes an autoimmune flare? Not based on the evidence we have today.

What science can tell us is that researchers have continued to investigate something patients have reported for decades. While there isn't a consistent weather effect across everyone with rheumatic disease, there may be individual differences in how people experience changes in weather.

If you consistently notice that rainy days, cold temperatures or other weather changes affect how you feel, that pattern is worth paying attention to. Keeping track of symptoms can help you recognize your own patterns and give you useful information to discuss with your healthcare provider.

Thank you to the patient who shared this perspective. The Living Radiantly Patient Perspectives series exists to give voice to the real experiences of people living with rheumatic, autoimmune, and chronic illnesses. If you have a story, insight, challenge, or triumph you'd like to share, we welcome your contribution. Together, we can help others feel seen, understood, and less alone throughout Clermont, Florida, and the surrounding communities. Click to submit: https://www.radiantrheumatology.com/patient-perspective