Finally, we can all stop blaming rain for our occasional joint pain. According to research using the largest database ever–Google– rain actually reduces the number of searches for remedies for joint pain. A University of Washington news release reports that researchers at the school used Google Trends to create search strings of words and phrases for hip pain, knee pain and arthritis, as well as a control search related to stomach pain. They also collected daily summaries of weather for four years from 50 large cities.  The researchers found that, among the weather variables, only temperature and precipitation had statistically significant associations, and only with searches for knee and hip pain. Searches about arthritis had no correlation with weather factors. Because knee- and hip-pain searches increased as temperatures rose until it grew uncomfortably hot, and rainy days tended to slightly reduce search volumes for hip and knee pain, the researchers suggest that changes in physical activity level were primarily responsible for those searches.
About 30 years ago I broke my wrist. I had always assumed it was an “old wives tale”, but I ASSURE you that for about a year afterward I ALWAYS knew when it was about to snow.