Weather and joint pain: Any connection?

Many studies have explored the relationship between joint pain and weather changes, such as barometric pressure, temperature and humidity. Although both anecdotal and scientific evidence suggest that a connection exists, it has not been proven.

Your joints are lined with a membrane (synovium) that secretes a lubricating fluid (synovial fluid). In arthritis, particularly inflammatory types such as rheumatoid arthritis, the amount of fluid increases. Theoretically, changes in barometric pressure could affect the fluid in joints if, for example, a chemical in the joint increased — causing inflammation — when pressure rose and fell. But there's no conclusive evidence that supports this theory.