Damp Weather and Arthritis: What's the Truth?

Arthritis is defined as the inflammation or swelling of the joints. There are numerous types of arthritis but the major symptoms include pain, stiffness and movement problems. It is also a common belief that damp weather makes the symptoms of arthritis worse.

Significance

• According to an article in Scientific American, there is no correlation between damp weather and increased arthritic pain.

Expert Insight

• According to Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier of the University of Toronto, when it is damp outside, people stay indoors, making any correlation between dampness and arthritis impossible.

Considerations

• People with arthritis also do not tend to feel significantly better when they move to drier climates, according to Scientific America.

Misconceptions

• Some may cite barometric pressure as a reason for arthritic pain increases but these same people do not report any issues when pressure suddenly changes, such as a gain in elevation on an airplane.

Effects

• According to Dr. Redelmeier, any arthritic reaction to damp weather is a psychological and not a physical effect.