Column June 17, 2025
Why Joints Ache Whenever the Weather Changes
Hyo-seop Kim
Chief Director
Table of Contents
The knees know it before the rain comes
Many arthritis patients say, "My knees tell me before it rains." Indeed, drops in barometric pressure, rising humidity, and falling temperature have been confirmed by multiple studies to worsen joint pain.
The relationship between weather changes and the joints
- Falling barometric pressure: Pressure inside the joint becomes relatively higher, the synovium expands, and nerve stimulation increases.
- Rising humidity: The water content of tissues around the joint changes, worsening swelling and stiffness.
- Falling temperature: Blood flow around the joint decreases and the viscosity of synovial fluid (the joint's lubricant) increases, making movement feel stiff.
How Korean medicine views weather-related joint pain: wind-cold-dampness Bi (風寒濕痺)
For 2,000 years, Korean medicine has explained the relationship between joint pain and climate as the invasion of wind-cold-dampness (風寒濕) pathogens into the joints. Gwanjeoldan tonifies the liver and kidney to raise the joint's own resistance, while acupuncture and moxibustion promote local circulation to block pathogen invasion.
How to prepare for weather changes
- Wear knee warmers when the temperature drops.
- On rainy days, use the joints less and apply warm compresses.
- Take Gwanjeoldan before the change of seasons to bring joint condition up in advance.
- Keep indoor humidity from getting too high (below 60%).