"I can feel the cold in my bones."
You've probably heard it before. Or maybe you've even said it yourself.
It's that familiar ache when the weather turns. But it isn't all in the imagination, nor is it an old wives' tale...
When the temperatures plummet and air pressure shifts, your joints really do feel it... especially if you happen to have arthritis.
A 2013 study out of Spain showed that rheumatoid arthritis (more on this in a moment) patients had increased levels of pain as the temperature dropped. And a 2007 study from Tufts University showed that both dropping temperature and changes in barometric pressure caused increased pain for patients with osteoarthritis.
Winter has a way of finding your weak spots. And it's a problem that we're more likely to face as we age... Nearly half of Americans aged 65 and older have been diagnosed with arthritis.
Before we get into what helps, first, let's get to know the enemy...
Arthritis comes in many different forms, but the two most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis ("OA") and rheumatoid arthritis ("RA").
Both are chronic, incurable conditions. They involve symptoms like:
- Joint pain from inflammation
- Stiffness (especially in the mornings)
- Tenderness or warmth at the affected joint(s)
- Reduced range of motion
That's where the similarities pretty much end...
Afflicting more than 32 million Americans, OA is the "wear and tear" arthritis most folks are familiar with. It happens when cartilage, the tissue that cushions the ends of your bones at a joint, breaks down, leading the way to changes in the bone.
Age is the biggest risk factor, but it's far from the only one. There are joint injuries from accidents or playing sports, obesity, smoking, having a sedentary lifestyle, and genetic factors. OA can also take decades to develop.
As for RA, it affects fewer Americans (roughly 1.3 million) than OA. But it's an entirely different beast... an autoimmune disease where your body mistakes the protective barrier around your joint (called the synovium) as a foreign body and sends immune system cells to attack it. Since it's systemic, multiple joints may become affected at the same time and typically on both sides of the body (unlike the one-sided OA). And all of that whole-body inflammation can lead to significant loss of muscle and bone, as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, lung problems, and more. It's not uncommon for RA sufferers to experience flu-like symptoms during flare-ups.
Plus, it tends to come on and worsen faster than OA, which is more gradual. And if it isn't caught early, it can lead to severe disability due to deformed joints. Another difference between the two is that RA patients tend to have morning stiffness that takes more than 30 minutes to go away.
This chronic inflammatory condition usually gets diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 60.
But for folks older than 60, there's a specific subtype called elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis ("EORA"). (For those diagnosed at age 65 or older, it's called late-onset RA.)
EORA is different from young-onset RA ("YORA"), mainly because of two age-related factors. First, there's inflammaging, which is where you have chronic, low-grade inflammation. The second factor is immunosenescence, or a natural decline in immune-cell function, which raises the risk of developing autoimmune reactions.
Compared with YORA, EORA affects the larger joints like in the knees and shoulders (versus smaller joints in the fingers and toes), making it harder to complete daily tasks.
EORA patients also have higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. As for the onset of symptoms, it's more acute in EORA patients where symptoms typically come in more swiftly and intensely than in YORA.
Plus, older folks tend to have other health conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes that make EORA harder to treat. Because those conditions often involve taking medications that could interact with other drugs, EORA treatment is usually more conservative than that of YORA.
Regardless of which type of arthritis you have, flare-ups of symptoms have common triggers like stress, poor sleep, infection, joint injury, and like we discussed earlier, cold weather. So you'll want to do your best to avoid those aggravators.
Now some folks might think that it's best to avoid exercise... that it worsens the joint problems.
But that couldn't be further from the truth. Avoiding movement can accelerate that joint damage.
Regular exercise improves circulation, reduces inflammation, strengthens the muscles that support your joints, and helps preserve cartilage.
I recommend getting in some...
Resistance training: One French study found that resistance training alleviates inflammation throughout the body and builds up muscle strength. RA patients who exercised 60 minutes a day, five days a week for four weeks reduced their pain and got better sleep. And an essay from the University of Florida reviewed evidence that OA improves with resistance exercise. The researchers advised patients to take it slow and give their joints proper rest in between workouts. If using weights, start with light ones. I personally love my resistance band – it packs away easily in my suitcase or bag. And it's gentle on the joints.
Walking: OA mostly affects the knees, hips, and lower back... all joints that benefit from walking. And walking is wonderful for lowering blood pressure, especially since having RA carries a higher risk of heart disease.
(By the way, a study published in August 2025 from the British Society for Rheumatology found that RA patients have a 46% higher chance of developing deadly blood clots in their veins.)
But you don't need RA for that risk to matter, especially if you're older and planning on doing some traveling.
Check out my issue on my tips for avoiding this travel danger (or try out a subscription to my Retirement Millionaire newsletter here).
Do what I do and go for several walks each day. Walking your dog or grandchildren around the block a few times a day will also help. (The city block I walk in Baltimore is about 537 steps.) And according to the American College of Rheumatology, low- to moderate-impact exercise (like walking) helps keep RA symptoms under control as well. Long-term studies show that RA patients who exercise have less bone loss and better activity levels as well.
If you have OA or RA, what has worked for you? Drop us a note at feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: Why travelers love Japan's convenience-store socks.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
January 8, 2026