Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWeather’s ImpactWeather ResearchOther Pain ConditionsWhy Weather MattersWhat to Do About ItFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Weather’s Impact
Weather Research
Other Pain Conditions
Why Weather Matters
What to Do About It
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people withfibromyalgiasay weather sensitivity is part of the condition. However, when you ask what kind of weather affects them most, the answers vary greatly.
If you talk to your healthcare provider about the impact of weather on how you feel, you could get any number of reactions—anything from, “I see that in a lot of my patients” to “That’s an old wives’ tale.” So do weather changes have a negative impact or not?
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Weather & Fibromyalgia
The relationship between weather and fibromyalgia was the focus of a large internet survey of nearly 2,600 people with fibromyalgia. This was a general survey, not one specifically looking for weather-related information. When asked what things appeared to make their symptoms worse, 80% of respondents said “weather changes.”
Weather was the second-most reported worsening factor. The top five perceived triggers were:
All of those but weather have been studied and found to be significant symptom triggers.
Cold Temps and Fibromyalgia Pain
What the Research Reveals
Researchers haven’t spent a lot of time looking into the impact of weather on fibromyalgia symptoms, but they have done a handful of studies.
A 2013 study published inArthritis Care & Researchinvolved 333 women with fibromyalgia. They had the women answer daily questions about their pain and fatigue, then compared them to meteorological data.
Researchers found a “significant but small” effect on pain or fatigue in five (10%) of the 50 different weather comparisons they performed. They also found significant but small and inconsistent differences between participants when it came to random effects of weather variables.
They concluded that there’s no uniform impact of weather on symptoms, but left open the possibility that weather could affect some, saying:
In fact, they say that they found roughly the same amount of positive associations as negative ones. A 2017 analysis of Twitter posts appears to confirm the findings against a standard influence of weather on fibromyalgia. (The analysis, in part, used keywords including #fibromyalgia, #fibro, and #spoonie.) Interestingly, they found what appeared to be regional differences in what weather factors bothered people.
For example, they say among the eight states with the most Twitter posts in the analysis, these six revealed no significant correlation between weather and symptoms:
It may seem confusing that the same factor can be positive or negative and that there’s nothing consistent about it, but that kind of thing is par for the course when talking about fibromyalgia.
Just about everything—including medications, supplements,food, andexercise—is highly individual for people with fibromyalgia. Each person has a unique blend of symptoms and triggers and therefore has a unique response to factors that influence how they feel. Also, overlapping pain conditions are common and may have their own relationship with the weather.
Weather and Other Pain Conditions
Research on weather and pain in other conditions, as well as pain in general, is also mixed. A 2015 study in theJournal of Rheumatologysuggests a relationship between humidity and joint pain inosteoarthritis, with humidity in cold weather having a greater impact than in warm weather.
Studies have suggested relationships betweenrheumatoid arthritispain and humidity, as well, while some have linked it to high barometric pressure.Research on migraine and weather—looking at factors such as barometric pressure, temperature, and precipitation—has had mixed results, showing no clear evidence of correlation.
And other studies have found associations (though modest) between pain symptoms and weather factors such as cold temperatures, humidity, and barometric pressure.In one study, the researchers concluded that the likely explanation is that people are less active when the weather isn’t favorable.
Why Weather Affects Symptoms
No one knows for sure why weather appears to trigger pain in fibromyalgia or other conditions. One theory involves barometric pressure changes.
Barometric pressure, or air pressure, is the weight of air pressing down on the earth (and everything on it, including you.)Rising air leads to low pressure while sinking air leads to high pressure.
Falls in barometric pressure cause tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.) to expand. Any expansion inside the body, where space is limited, might lead to pain in sensitive areas. In people with arthritis, the joints hurt. In people with migraine, the head hurts. In people with fibromyalgia, anything and everything may hurt.
Too Many Nerves in Fibromyalgia
What You Can Do About It
Let’s assume for a moment that weather can have a negative impact on fibromyalgia symptoms and that it’s a problem for you. Can you do something to lessen the impact?
If it’s cold or heat that’s the problem, the obvious solution is trying tostay warm when it’s coldout orcool when it’s hot. That’s easier said than done, though, if you also havetemperature sensitivity(a common fibromyalgia symptom) and problems feeling too hot or too cold (also common).
If humidity bothers you, a dehumidifier may help, but only when you’re at home. Barometric pressure? Changing weather? There’s no easy solution there. Certainly, if the climate you live in seems inhospitable, it could seem appealing to move somewhere else.
The problem is that you won’t know howthatclimate impacts you until you’ve spent considerable time there. It may be that it’s too big a gamble for such a drastic measure.
Your best bet may be finding a fibromyalgia treatment that is successful against a wide variety of symptoms and eases the severity of your illness in general.
Frequently Asked QuestionsNo one is sure, but it may be due to changes in barometric pressure, which make tissues in your body expand and contract, thus putting pressure on sensitive structures.Fibromyalgia flares feel different for different people. Common descriptions include:Full-body migraineLimbs too heavy to moveFogged-in brainUnrelenting exhaustionThat depends on what bothers you. Some people with fibromyalgia are sensitive to heat, cold, or both while others aren’t. Some notice heightened symptoms due to certain weather patterns while others don’t.Yes and no. Sunlight provides vitamin D, which may treat pain, inflammation, fatigue, poor sleep, and depression.However, some people with fibromyalgia find they easily overheat and have more severe symptoms when it’s hot. Be cautious until you know how the sun and heat affect you.
No one is sure, but it may be due to changes in barometric pressure, which make tissues in your body expand and contract, thus putting pressure on sensitive structures.
Fibromyalgia flares feel different for different people. Common descriptions include:Full-body migraineLimbs too heavy to moveFogged-in brainUnrelenting exhaustion
Fibromyalgia flares feel different for different people. Common descriptions include:
That depends on what bothers you. Some people with fibromyalgia are sensitive to heat, cold, or both while others aren’t. Some notice heightened symptoms due to certain weather patterns while others don’t.
Yes and no. Sunlight provides vitamin D, which may treat pain, inflammation, fatigue, poor sleep, and depression.However, some people with fibromyalgia find they easily overheat and have more severe symptoms when it’s hot. Be cautious until you know how the sun and heat affect you.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bennett RM, Jones J, Turk DC, Russell IJ, Matallana L.An internet survey of 2,596 people with fibromyalgia.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8:27. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-27Bossema ER, van Middendorp H, Jacobs JW, Bijlsma JW, Geenen R.Influence of weather on daily symptoms of pain and fatigue in female patients with fibromyalgia: a multilevel regression analysis.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2013;65(7):1019-1025. doi:10.1002/acr.22008Delir Haghighi P, Kang YB, Buchbinder R, Burstein F, Whittle S.Investigating subjective experience and the influence of weather among individuals with fibromyalgia: a content analysis of Twitter.JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2017;3(1):e4. doi:10.2196/publichealth.6344Timmermans EJ, Schaap LA, Herbolsheimer F, et al.The influence of weather conditions on joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis.J Rheumatol. 2015;42(10):1885-1892. doi:10.3899/jrheum.141594Azzouzi H, Ichchou L.Seasonal and weather effects on rheumatoid arthritis: myth or reality?.Pain Res Manag. 2020;2020:5763080. doi:10.1155/2020/5763080Marmura MJ.Triggers, protectors, and predictors in episodic migraine.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018;22(12):81. doi:10.1007/s11916-018-0734-0Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266University of Chicago Medical Center.It’s cold outside! Do your joints hurt?National Weather Service.Pressure definitions.Harvard Health Publishing.What triggers weather-related joint pain?University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Health Center.9 vitamin D deficiency symptoms.Additional ReadingDixon WG, Beukenhorst AL, Yimer BB, et al.How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app.NPJ Digit Med. 2019;2:105. doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0180-3Druce KL, McBeth J, van der Veer SN, et al.Recruitment and ongoing engagement in a UK smartphone study examining the association between weather and pain: cohort study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2017;5(11):e168. doi:10.2196/mhealth.8162Fagerlund AJ, Iversen M, Ekeland A, Moen CM, Aslaksen PM.Blame it on the weather? The association between pain in fibromyalgia, relative humidity, temperature and barometric pressure.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0216902. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216902Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266Vincent A, Whipple MO, Rhudy LM.Fibromyalgia flares: a qualitative analysis.Pain Med. 2016;17(3):463-468. doi:10.1111/pme.12676Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bennett RM, Jones J, Turk DC, Russell IJ, Matallana L.An internet survey of 2,596 people with fibromyalgia.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8:27. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-27Bossema ER, van Middendorp H, Jacobs JW, Bijlsma JW, Geenen R.Influence of weather on daily symptoms of pain and fatigue in female patients with fibromyalgia: a multilevel regression analysis.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2013;65(7):1019-1025. doi:10.1002/acr.22008Delir Haghighi P, Kang YB, Buchbinder R, Burstein F, Whittle S.Investigating subjective experience and the influence of weather among individuals with fibromyalgia: a content analysis of Twitter.JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2017;3(1):e4. doi:10.2196/publichealth.6344Timmermans EJ, Schaap LA, Herbolsheimer F, et al.The influence of weather conditions on joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis.J Rheumatol. 2015;42(10):1885-1892. doi:10.3899/jrheum.141594Azzouzi H, Ichchou L.Seasonal and weather effects on rheumatoid arthritis: myth or reality?.Pain Res Manag. 2020;2020:5763080. doi:10.1155/2020/5763080Marmura MJ.Triggers, protectors, and predictors in episodic migraine.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018;22(12):81. doi:10.1007/s11916-018-0734-0Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266University of Chicago Medical Center.It’s cold outside! Do your joints hurt?National Weather Service.Pressure definitions.Harvard Health Publishing.What triggers weather-related joint pain?University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Health Center.9 vitamin D deficiency symptoms.Additional ReadingDixon WG, Beukenhorst AL, Yimer BB, et al.How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app.NPJ Digit Med. 2019;2:105. doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0180-3Druce KL, McBeth J, van der Veer SN, et al.Recruitment and ongoing engagement in a UK smartphone study examining the association between weather and pain: cohort study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2017;5(11):e168. doi:10.2196/mhealth.8162Fagerlund AJ, Iversen M, Ekeland A, Moen CM, Aslaksen PM.Blame it on the weather? The association between pain in fibromyalgia, relative humidity, temperature and barometric pressure.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0216902. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216902Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266Vincent A, Whipple MO, Rhudy LM.Fibromyalgia flares: a qualitative analysis.Pain Med. 2016;17(3):463-468. doi:10.1111/pme.12676Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bennett RM, Jones J, Turk DC, Russell IJ, Matallana L.An internet survey of 2,596 people with fibromyalgia.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8:27. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-27Bossema ER, van Middendorp H, Jacobs JW, Bijlsma JW, Geenen R.Influence of weather on daily symptoms of pain and fatigue in female patients with fibromyalgia: a multilevel regression analysis.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2013;65(7):1019-1025. doi:10.1002/acr.22008Delir Haghighi P, Kang YB, Buchbinder R, Burstein F, Whittle S.Investigating subjective experience and the influence of weather among individuals with fibromyalgia: a content analysis of Twitter.JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2017;3(1):e4. doi:10.2196/publichealth.6344Timmermans EJ, Schaap LA, Herbolsheimer F, et al.The influence of weather conditions on joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis.J Rheumatol. 2015;42(10):1885-1892. doi:10.3899/jrheum.141594Azzouzi H, Ichchou L.Seasonal and weather effects on rheumatoid arthritis: myth or reality?.Pain Res Manag. 2020;2020:5763080. doi:10.1155/2020/5763080Marmura MJ.Triggers, protectors, and predictors in episodic migraine.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018;22(12):81. doi:10.1007/s11916-018-0734-0Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266University of Chicago Medical Center.It’s cold outside! Do your joints hurt?National Weather Service.Pressure definitions.Harvard Health Publishing.What triggers weather-related joint pain?University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Health Center.9 vitamin D deficiency symptoms.
Bennett RM, Jones J, Turk DC, Russell IJ, Matallana L.An internet survey of 2,596 people with fibromyalgia.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8:27. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-27
Bossema ER, van Middendorp H, Jacobs JW, Bijlsma JW, Geenen R.Influence of weather on daily symptoms of pain and fatigue in female patients with fibromyalgia: a multilevel regression analysis.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2013;65(7):1019-1025. doi:10.1002/acr.22008
Delir Haghighi P, Kang YB, Buchbinder R, Burstein F, Whittle S.Investigating subjective experience and the influence of weather among individuals with fibromyalgia: a content analysis of Twitter.JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2017;3(1):e4. doi:10.2196/publichealth.6344
Timmermans EJ, Schaap LA, Herbolsheimer F, et al.The influence of weather conditions on joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis.J Rheumatol. 2015;42(10):1885-1892. doi:10.3899/jrheum.141594
Azzouzi H, Ichchou L.Seasonal and weather effects on rheumatoid arthritis: myth or reality?.Pain Res Manag. 2020;2020:5763080. doi:10.1155/2020/5763080
Marmura MJ.Triggers, protectors, and predictors in episodic migraine.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018;22(12):81. doi:10.1007/s11916-018-0734-0
Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963
Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266
University of Chicago Medical Center.It’s cold outside! Do your joints hurt?
National Weather Service.Pressure definitions.
Harvard Health Publishing.What triggers weather-related joint pain?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Health Center.9 vitamin D deficiency symptoms.
Dixon WG, Beukenhorst AL, Yimer BB, et al.How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app.NPJ Digit Med. 2019;2:105. doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0180-3Druce KL, McBeth J, van der Veer SN, et al.Recruitment and ongoing engagement in a UK smartphone study examining the association between weather and pain: cohort study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2017;5(11):e168. doi:10.2196/mhealth.8162Fagerlund AJ, Iversen M, Ekeland A, Moen CM, Aslaksen PM.Blame it on the weather? The association between pain in fibromyalgia, relative humidity, temperature and barometric pressure.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0216902. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216902Telfer S, Obradovich N.Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0181266. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181266Vincent A, Whipple MO, Rhudy LM.Fibromyalgia flares: a qualitative analysis.Pain Med. 2016;17(3):463-468. doi:10.1111/pme.12676Yimer BB, Schultz DM, Beukenhorst AL, et al.Heterogeneity in the association between weather and pain severity among patients with chronic pain: a Bayesian multilevel regression analysis.Pain Rep. 2022;7(1):e963. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000000963
Dixon WG, Beukenhorst AL, Yimer BB, et al.How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app.NPJ Digit Med. 2019;2:105. doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0180-3
Druce KL, McBeth J, van der Veer SN, et al.Recruitment and ongoing engagement in a UK smartphone study examining the association between weather and pain: cohort study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2017;5(11):e168. doi:10.2196/mhealth.8162
Fagerlund AJ, Iversen M, Ekeland A, Moen CM, Aslaksen PM.Blame it on the weather? The association between pain in fibromyalgia, relative humidity, temperature and barometric pressure.PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0216902. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216902
Vincent A, Whipple MO, Rhudy LM.Fibromyalgia flares: a qualitative analysis.Pain Med. 2016;17(3):463-468. doi:10.1111/pme.12676
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