# Why Do Old People Think Their Arthritis Predicts The Weather? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904 "2002-11-08T17:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/1 "2002-11-08T17:45:00Z")
Why do old people frequently believe that their various body aches and pains are indicative of future weather patterns? What is the connection between arthritis and weather?? What do they sense that a barometer doesn’t??? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/2 "2002-11-08T17:55:55Z")
I believe it has to do with (or people think it’s) the pressure change as fronts (or whatever) move in. Since I’m no meteorologist, you can read what Cecil has to [say](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_057.html). ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/3 "2002-11-08T18:02:10Z")
Sorry. I should have searched first, but I was reluctant to because it takes forever. Thanks **Dignan**! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/4 "2002-11-08T20:11:08Z")
[Here is an article](http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/93/7/2895.pdf) that gives some interesting background on the belief, in addition to providing data that does NOT support the concept. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/5 "2002-11-08T21:46:21Z")
No need to be sorry, **Surreal**. It’s a good question, but maybe more suited to IMHO. Pain and discomfort are personal, and subjective. If it hurt’s, it hurt’s. Science is hard-put to prove pain, one way or the other. That’s why doctors ask you about pain. My arthritis does hurt more when the weather _change’s_. And the pain does seem to precede the change by a little bit. Maybe I notice the pain before I do the change. I’ve never related it to barometric pressure, so I can’t comment on that. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/6 "2002-11-08T22:51:43Z")
I can’t speak for those people who suffer from arthritis, but I can tell you that my lower left leg/ankle (which has three bolts, seven screws and two strips of steel holding everything together… it was quite the injury) hurts when there is a high or low pressure system moving into the area (ie- a change in weather). It also hurts when I fly. I assume as a result of the pressure changes. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/7 "2002-11-08T23:33:37Z")
I’m not old! I’m 31 and I say it’s no more odd than using a barometer. My hip starts to go when the weather gets more cold and humid. It’s been at least as accurate for me as looking out a window but a lot more quaint. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/8 "2002-11-08T23:37:34Z")
I’m 37 and I’ve been feeling “rain pain” in my joints for a few years now. And it’s raining. And I feel it! ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/9 "2002-11-09T00:41:06Z")
Old? Please. I’ve had knee problems since I was 12, spent a number of my teenage years walking with a cane, and I have definitely seen an increase in pain during changes of weather. Even today, almost three years after the surgery that made me able to be free of the cane – in fact, just about the only time my knee really bugs me is when the weather’s changing. – Dragonblink, an old crone at age 22, providing anecdotal evidence since time immemorial. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/10 "2002-11-09T01:47:19Z")
Another arthritis sufferer here. I sprained my left ankle something awful in high school, over 25 years ago. As a result of the trauma, arthritis developed (it also runs in my family, so perhaps the trauma hastened the inevitable). But when the weather is wet and cold, it throbs like a toothache. I can either predict within 24 hours when it’s going to turn nasty, or if the weatherman says it’s going to get bad and my ankle doesn’t hurt, I ignore him. I’m right a lot of the time. I imagine it’s because of the change in pressure and humidity. It’s worse in the winter than in warm weather, but it still works all throughout the year. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/11 "2002-11-09T01:47:33Z")
Now there you go, **Surreal** , a whole bunch of anecdotal evidence. Who ya gonna believe, huh? 🙂 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/12 "2002-11-09T06:43:40Z")
Cecil speaks on [Does a change in the weather make people’s joints ache?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_057.html) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/13 "2002-11-09T07:00:39Z")
**Dignan** already linked to that one, **peepthis**. Cecil didn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-think-their-arthritis-predicts-the-weather/135904/14 "2002-11-09T13:06:32Z")
I’m 40 and I have spinal arthritis. It only started a year or two ago, and I’m painfully aware of coming rainstorms. I also am more uncomfortable in colder weather. So, any friendly Phoenix Dopers with a room to rent??? 😃 Okay, no real answer was offered here. The arthritis I feel is because the spinal facets have lost their pressure-absorptive layering. The sinovial fluids are mostly if not all gone, and the sockets are slowly going dry. If the change in barometric pressure or humidity can affect the body in subtle ways, then I’m here to tell you that it truly does. Could it be purely suggestive, and not physically based at all? Could be. I know lots of people who suffer this, and knew them before I got hurt. Perhaps I just THINK I’m supposed to feel this way. Cartooniverse