When the wind blows or it’s damp, is your chronic pain worse? I have said that for years and have always been told “it’s in my head”. I can strictly follow my anti-inflammation diet and as soon as the fog rolls in, my hands hurt.

Recently, researchers tracked more than 13,000 U.K. residents over 15 months. The study was called “Cloudy with a Chance of Pain”. Participants recorded their daily pain intensity with a smartphone app and GPS locations of their phones were linked to local weather data. Analyzing 5.1 million pain reports, researchers compared and found weather significantly increased pain on days with higher humidity, lower pressure, and stronger winds (Dixon 2019).