Arthritis and cold weather: how can an osteopath help?

Nov 3

By Bernitta Willoughby, Principal Osteopath at The Waterside Practice, Warboys, Cambridgeshire

This week, several patients with arthritis have come into the practice feeling more uncomfortable than usual. With the damp weather, a familiar question has come up: “Could the weather be making my joints hurt?”

Across fifteen years of winters as an osteopath, I have heard this repeatedly. Patients describe stiffer fingers, aching knees and hips that make getting out of bed feel more of an effort.

These experiences deserve to be taken seriously. But how strong is the connection between arthritis and cold weather? What can you try at home, and what role can an osteopath play in helping you manage arthritic pain?

Does cold, damp weather make arthritis worse?

Some people report more joint pain in damp weather, but research has not established a consistent effect for everyone.

The UK study Cloudy with a Chance of Pain analysed daily reports from 2,658 people with long-term pain. Higher humidity, stronger winds and lower atmospheric pressure were associated with more painful days. The effects were modest, and the study included several chronic pain conditions, rather than arthritis alone.

Other findings are less clear. A 2024 review of 11 studies found no overall association between weather factors and episodes of rheumatoid arthritis pain, knee pain or lower back pain. A 2025 rheumatoid arthritis review also found no significant overall association with pain, although some weather factors had small associations with joint tenderness or swelling.

My approach is to listen to the individual. If you consistently feel worse when the weather changes, that is useful information when planning your care. However, we should not assume that every increase in pain means the weather has increased inflammation or caused further joint damage.

Does humidity affect joint pH?

You may have heard the suggestion that moisture in the air makes arthritic joints more acidic.

There is research linking inflammation with changes in joint chemistry. In rheumatoid arthritis, studies have found lower joint-fluid pH — meaning greater acidity — alongside higher lactate levels and greater disease activity.

However, there is no established evidence that damp air directly changes joint pH. Neither the weather studies nor the joint-acidity research demonstrate that chain of events.

Inflammation and acidity are connected, but we cannot use this as a proven explanation for why your knees ache on a wet November morning.

What does an arthritis flare feel like?

Arthritis describes several different conditions. Osteoarthritis and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis need different approaches to care.

Common symptoms include:

Joint pain or aching.
Stiffness, particularly after resting.
Swelling and reduced movement.
Difficulty with everyday tasks, such as walking, climbing stairs or opening jars.

Arthritis can affect people of different ages; it is not confined to retirement.

A flare is a worsening of your usual symptoms. There is no particular pattern that proves the weather is responsible. New swelling, prolonged morning stiffness or symptoms that keep worsening deserve assessment.

Can an osteopath help with arthritis?

An osteopath can help assess joint pain and support symptom management, movement and everyday function. Osteopathy cannot cure arthritis or rebuild worn cartilage.

At The Waterside Practice in Warboys, my starting point is understanding what has changed and what you are finding difficult. Is it getting downstairs in the morning? Walking the dog? Turning comfortably in bed?

An appointment is an opportunity to look at your symptoms, medical history, movement and goals, and consider whether osteopathic care is appropriate or whether you need further medical assessment.

Understanding what is contributing to your pain

Having an arthritis diagnosis does not mean every ache comes from that condition. Assessment can help explore the contribution of joint restriction, muscle discomfort and changes in how you move.

It also helps us recognise symptoms that need GP or rheumatology input. We should never dismiss a new problem as “just your arthritis”.

Helping you build strength and confidence in movement

For osteoarthritis, tailored exercise is a core treatment. NICE recommends muscle strengthening and general fitness exercise to support pain management and function.

An osteopath can help you find a manageable starting point and adapt activity around your symptoms. The aim might be to make stairs easier, improve walking tolerance or help you return to an activity you enjoy.

My advice is to build a routine you can realistically maintain, with a plan for more uncomfortable days.

Using hands-on treatment where appropriate

Gentle joint mobilisation and soft-tissue techniques may form part of care for some patients.

For hip or knee osteoarthritis, NICE advises considering manual therapy only alongside therapeutic exercise. There is insufficient evidence to recommend it as a treatment on its own. This guidance concerns manual therapy techniques; it is not evidence that osteopathy reverses arthritis.

Any hands-on treatment should have a clear purpose, be adapted to your health and comfort, and be reviewed according to whether it helps.

Working alongside your medical care

For rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, supportive treatment must not replace medical management. Early treatment, including appropriate medicines, can reduce the risk of joint damage.

If symptoms suggest active inflammation or a different underlying problem, the priority is appropriate medical review.

Why do some people find their arthritis improves abroad?

Over the years, patients have told me they feel more comfortable in a warmer, drier climate. Some have planned winter breaks around their joints.

A study of 124 people with rheumatoid arthritis compared rehabilitation programmes in a Mediterranean climate and Norway. Both groups improved, but some benefits were greater and lasted longer in the warmer setting.

However, this was a structured rehabilitation programme, not simply a holiday. It does not establish that dry air alone caused the improvement.

Most of us cannot spend winter abroad. Work, children and finances still need attention, and arthritis can begin long before retirement. A practical plan at home is therefore far more useful than being told to find some sunshine.

How to manage arthritis symptoms at home

Heat packs for familiar stiffness

A warm shower or comfortably warm heat pack may help ease stiffness. NHS guidance includes hot and cold packs as options for osteoarthritis symptom relief.

Use a protective layer, follow the product instructions and avoid sleeping with a heat pack in place.

Cold packs for familiar swelling or soreness

Some people find a wrapped cold pack more soothing for a familiar painful, swollen joint. Apply it for up to 20 minutes, checking your skin regularly. Never place ice directly on the skin.

If you have reduced sensation or poor circulation, check with a clinician before using heat or cold. A newly hot, swollen joint needs assessment rather than being treated automatically as a seasonal flare.

Keep activity manageable

On more uncomfortable days, consider shorter periods of movement, gentler exercises and breaks between tasks. Avoid trying to make up for a quiet day with one unusually demanding session.

For osteoarthritis, regular exercise tailored to your needs remains an important part of care. If you have inflammatory arthritis, follow your agreed flare-management plan and seek advice if symptoms are not settling.

Could a sauna help arthritis?

A small pilot study of 34 people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis found short-term reductions in pain and stiffness during infrared sauna sessions. Longer-term improvements were not statistically significant.

A sauna may offer temporary comfort, but it is not an established treatment for controlling arthritis inflammation. It is certainly not something you need to purchase. Check suitability if you have heart or blood-pressure problems or are prone to faintness, and leave if you feel unwell.

Is turmeric a natural treatment for arthritis?

Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been studied for possible benefits in osteoarthritis. Early findings are encouraging, but products and studies vary, and better evidence is needed.

Fresh turmeric in cooking is different from the concentrated extracts used in trials. We do not have good evidence that ordinary food amounts treat arthritis flares.

Not taking medication does not automatically make supplements suitable. Concentrated turmeric products can cause side effects, and some formulations have been linked to liver injury. Speak to a pharmacist or GP before starting a supplement.

When should you seek medical advice for joint pain?

Please do not put every change down to the weather.

Seek an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if your joint is painful, swollen and hot, or if joint pain comes with feeling unwell, feverish or shivery.

Arrange a GP review if pain affects sleep or normal activities, swelling keeps returning, or morning stiffness lasts more than 30 minutes.

Osteopathic support for arthritis in Warboys

After fifteen years of hearing how difficult winter can be for people with arthritis, I know that the everyday difficulties deserve attention, whether or not the weather is responsible.

At The Waterside Practice in Warboys, Cambridgeshire, we can assess your joint pain, discuss whether osteopathic care is appropriate and help you work towards practical goals.

If arthritis pain or stiffness is making daily life harder, contact the practice to arrange an assessment. Together, we can consider what support you need to keep moving through the colder months.

01487 209084 / reception@thewatersidepractice.co.uk

or have a free consult call bookable online: https://thewatersidepractice.janeapp.co.uk/#/discipline/1/treatment/96