The weather here in Chicago has been a roller coaster recently, which means my arthritis symptoms have been, too. When I woke up today with back pain out of nowhere (and some unseasonably cold weather), it got me wondering—what is it about weather changes that makes joint pain act up? Why does weather cause joint pain? Unfortunately, there’s not a very clear answer, although scientists have some ideas. The most prominent one is related to barometric pressure (or atmospheric pressure, the force exerted by the atmosphere on Earth, including us). As weather changes, the barometric pressure changes. When the pressure drops, joints can swell, which may increase pain for people…