Achy Joints? Look to the Rain

It’s been raining for five days here, and if next week’s forecast weren’t sun, sun, and more sun, I’d start building an ark. There are plenty of reasons to hate the rain—hello frizzy hair—and hardly a benefit to speak of. Well, OK, there’s that whole watering the earth to help plants grow thing. But aside from that…

Rainy days mean more to me than a slow, sluggish start. If you have joint pain, you know what I’m getting at. Pain is worse when it rains. Truly. And this type of weather—rainy and unnaturally cold for an October day in the Mid-Atlantic—is the very worst. For a while, I figured some sort of placebo effect was happening:

Wow, it’s raining, I’d think. Rain is supposed to make my knees hurt. You know, they’re starting to feel kinda sore. And it’s really cold out. Cold is supposed to make it even worse. And it does! They hurt! Really bad!

But then, this past winter, I’d marvel at my sudden morning stiffness while brushing my teeth in the morning. I’d get mildly depressed at my backsliding as I blow dried my hair. And then I’d walk out the door to a frigid, rainy day. Life made sense again.

So, you can imagine how excited I was to hear researchers validate my weather-forecasting ability. According to Javad Parvizi, M.D., Ph.D., a joint specialist at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, atmospheric pressure changes—especially low pressure systems that roll in with rain—cause nerves in the joint to respond and make fluid or pressure in the joint fluctuate. With less cartilage to cushion the joints, people with “damaged goods” really notice the change. In other words: I’d make a pretty kick-butt weatherman.

My avoid-stiffness-and-stay-warm-plan for cold, wet weather? A heating pad, a cup of tea, and a good movie. The first is essential. The other two are up to you.