Does the weather affect shoulder arthritis pain?

Many patients and physicians believe that weather patterns affect arthritis pain. I myself believed this, having heard so many many of my shoulder arthritis patients complain that they hurt more when the weather changed. Some reported that they could tell if rain was coming based on the pain levels in their shoulder. 

I was suprised when I stumbled on this old publication https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC39730/ in a psychology journal which showed that weather is not correlated with arthritis pain. People have a tendency to think that it is becuase we often perceives relationships where none exist, which is a common phenomenon in decision analysis research. 

I've attached the article for people to draw their own conclusions. Wether it is fact or fiction I do not know, but my shoulder arthritis patients throughout Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and the Outer Banks tell me it is real!

Author

Brad Carofino, MD Dr. Brad Carofino is a board-certified (American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery), fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder & upper extremity surgery. Dr. Carofino is an expert in shoulder replacement surgery, minimally invasive arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and complex reconstructive procedures of the upper extremity.