Community Views: RA in Extreme Weather

Winter is fast approaching for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Many of our community members on RheumatoidArthritis.net have shared their experiences with cold weather's impact on their RA symptoms. Does winter cold make it harder to manage your RA pain?

Read on for experiences and advice from other community members, and share your own stories and tips by clicking on the blue buttons at the end of each section of this article!

Low temperatures and RA pain

Cece3: Damp cold is bad but extreme cold (below freezing) causes me to be very stiff and sore and triggers Raynaud's.

n33j39: Cold weather ups my arthritis pain tremendously.

Wipedoutwoman: Cold seems to intensify my pain, which I find strange because when I was roasting my frijoles off in the summer, air-conditioning helped me. Maybe it’s humidity and lower sustained temperatures making me feel like bones are coming out of my skin.

CommunityMember1139: All-over ache. Hands get sharp pain. Drained.

kathymoorern: Sitting here as the temp drops in Florida to low 40s tonight. Painful hands — all joints stiff and achy in my hands. Knees, even feet, are singing the blues. I just keep groaning to myself! Definitely stiffer and more achy. Hope my bedtime Tylenol and a warm bed will help.

Tools and devices that help

CommunityMember966c2c: When it’s cold, I’m in a lot of pain, so heating pads and my massage pad are really important, as well as my arnica and oral meds.

CommunityMember47ef88: I ache real bad. Joints, neck, shoulders, knees. A heated mattress pad on my bed is my savior. It helps in the morning.

pattijo: I use a heated mattress pad so I get heat on my whole body at night!

dogmom69: The cold or even rain makes me not want to move. I just want to get under my weighted blanket and hibernate. Then when that doesn't help, I'm [using] a heating pad and medicated.

yajtrt: Rain, cold, rain and cold, all amp my pain up. I have difficulty getting going in the morning and I struggle doing pretty much anything. To help, I use an electric blanket, heat packs, ice on my knee after walking. I take more ibuprofen.

Community polls

Do you experience changes in your RA symptoms alongside the changing of the seasons? Does extreme weather make your RA pain and stiffness worse? How do you manage your RA during the colder winter months?