New Study Debunks Myth of Joint Pain Predicting Rain

Many have heard older relatives claim their joint pain can forecast the weather. But can joint pain really predict the rain? A group of experts across America sought to answer this question in their study published in the BMJ. The research found no substantial correlation between joint pain and rainy weather. Though they did find some evidence suggesting fewer reports of joint pain during rainy days, the differences were deemed too insignificant to be clinically relevant.

The study examined over 1.5 million adults aged 65 and older with Medicare insurance, monitoring their outpatient visits for joint and back pain between 2008 and 2012. The researchers also analyzed rainfall data from US weather stations to correlate trends with doctor visits for various joint conditions including osteoarthritis and spondylosis.

While the research concluded that rain had minimal impact on outpatient visits for joint pain, the study did acknowledge its limitations. These included the inability to assess the severity of pain and the lack of information on medication use during painful periods.

The findings may reassure those who have long believed in the connection between joint pain and weather, but the study suggests the need for larger, more detailed data to definitively address this common belief.