Some mornings, tying your shoes or picking up the paper takes more out of you than it should. If that sounds familiar, you may be wondering about the worst places to live with arthritis. Moving is one option some people consider, and it is worth talking over with your doctor first.
Here I cover the states to avoid, what a good climate for arthritis looks like, and why medical care and family matter as much as the weather. There is also a video, audio and infographic guide to the best climates for arthritis relief.
Living Conditions That Affect Arthritis
Every state is not created equal when it comes to arthritis. There are two major factors that you need to consider. First, the average climate or weather conditions in a state will be very important.
Second, the availability and quality of medical care are factors too. Let’s look a little closer at these factors.
Weather Conditions
By now, you’ve probably noticed your joints seem to predict the weather. Your aching joints can detect an incoming storm that even the Channel 3 weather report is unaware exists. Some people believe this is all nonsense, but there are links between joint pain and weather.
The secret isn’t that rain or snow itself causes inflammation in arthritis sufferers. Instead, the connection lies with barometric pressure.
This is also known as atmospheric pressure, which is the force that the atmosphere places on a surface at any moment.
When a storm begins to develop in an area, there is a noted decrease in the barometric pressure.
Reducing pressure might sound like a good thing for aching joints, but it’s actually the opposite. As the barometric pressure drops, the tissues inside the body can expand. The expanding tissues then place increased pressure on the nearby nerves and may cause more pain. A small drop in pressure may bring more joint pain for some people with arthritis.
What does all of this mean? It means that an ideal location to live with arthritis is one that experiences calm weather conditions with fewer storms and, thus, fewer pressure drops.
Calm weather provides a secondary benefit as well. It makes it easier for you to get outside and take a walk or exercise more often. Ask your doctor or therapist about it, since a few extra minutes of daily activity can often help with long-term arthritis pain.
Healthcare Possibilities
The second quality to consider when moving is the quantity and quality of the healthcare available. The desert might have great barometric pressure conditions, but if you’re hundreds of miles from the nearest doctor, it will do more harm than good. The best states will have many qualified rheumatologists available, and they will have a higher percentage of residents with health insurance.
In 2018, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) released a report that rated various states according to similar factors. One of their primary grading factors was the availability of rheumatologists in the state. According to their report, Maryland is the top state in the country because their number of rheumatologists is above average, and a large portion of the residents have health insurance.
What Are Some of the Worst Places to Live With Arthritis?
But we’re not here just to tell you how great Maryland is. Instead, we want to let you know which states you should probably avoid. The following two states are the worst either because they have poor healthcare options or their weather conditions are just not suited to aching joints.
Georgia
We like to think of the South as all sunshine and smiles, but that’s not the case regarding Georgia. To its residents, this state is known for its sudden and unpredictable shifts in weather. And with those shifts in weather come shifts in barometric pressure. Wednesday morning may be a great time for a walk, but Wednesday afternoon could be filled with rain, wind, and flooding.
Regarding weather, Georgia also has the unfortunate advantage of being a frequent hurricane target. It’s not quite as bad as Florida, but the hurricanes that do make contact with the coastline send rain and storms throughout the rest of the state.
The only thing more unpredictable than the weather in Georgia is the healthcare. There is an unfavorable ratio of patients to rheumatologists, and many arthritis sufferers cannot get the health insurance they need. We suggest avoiding this state entirely if you want to avoid frequent joint pain and sub-par healthcare.
Sorry Georgia! But you will always be on our minds!
Oklahoma
This is generally considered one of the worst states to live in if you have any type of joint pain. The humid, near-tropical conditions during the summer feel nice on the surface but can be painful on the joints. It’s not accompanied by the frequent shifts in barometric pressure typically responsible for joint pain, but you may still notice the humidity increases your pain.
The direct link between humidity and arthritis pain isn’t fully understood. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, the humidity isn’t the most significant problem in Oklahoma. The state has very few qualified rheumatologists compared to many patients who suffer from arthritis. The cost of healthcare in the state is also well above the average.
What a Good Climate for Arthritis Looks Like
If you know which places to skip, the next question is what to look for instead. Three kinds of climate tend to help most.
The first is warm and dry. Low humidity can help keep joints more flexible, which means less pain and stiffness.
The second is mild, with steady weather and fewer extreme temperatures. That can mean fewer flare-ups.
The third is low altitude, where there is less atmospheric pressure on the joints.
Humidity matters more than heat alone. A tropical island is much warmer, but the damp air cancels out the benefit of the temperature.
Cold is the other thing to watch. Muscles and joints tighten in the cold, and cold winter days can leave arthritic joints stiff and sore. If moving is not possible, a winter getaway can give you a break.
In the US, Phoenix, Arizona has a warm climate all year, generally low humidity and little change in barometric pressure. There is a short rainy season in July. Tucson is nearby with a similar climate, and it is home to the Arizona Arthritis Center at the University of Arizona Medical Center.
San Diego, California is generally warm all year with steady pressure and little humidity, even by the ocean. If you want to live near the beach, it is worth a look.
Farther afield, Sydney, Australia is warm and dry most of the year, and you can walk to nearly everything. Paris, France is a bit colder, but its temperature swings are small. Athens, Greece suits the Mediterranean way of eating, which is known for being anti-inflammatory.
Warm, dry weather does not cure arthritis. It also does not replace being near family and good medical care, and moving far from loved ones can bring enough stress to cancel out the benefit. A long visit before you commit is a good test, and your doctor should weigh in before any big decision.
Louisiana
Louisiana is known for its humid weather, which can cause many problems for arthritis sufferers. The humidity is especially intense during the summer. Many people with arthritis experience more severe symptoms during this time of year.
In addition to this, Louisiana is one of the rainiest states in the country. The state sees high rainfall throughout the year, even during the winter. Being in Louisiana also means dealing with hurricane season, making it challenging for people with arthritis to get the care they need. Louisiana is a great state to visit, but if you have arthritis, you may not want to live there.
RELATED: Advantages & Disadvantages of Beach Living for Older Adults
Massachusetts
New England is known for its chilly winters, but this part of the country also sees a lot of rainfall. Both the cold weather conditions and all the rain can cause problems with people with arthritis. Although Connecticut and Rhode Island also see a lot of rainfall, Massachusetts is one of the country’s rainiest states.
In a state like Massachusetts, people with arthritis can struggle all year round. The freezing temperatures in the winter can lead to intense pain, and the damp weather in the spring and summer can also be challenging. Although there are excellent doctors in this state, it can still be a difficult place to live in.
Mississippi
If you’re based in Mississippi, you might not have access to the doctors you want to see. Furthermore, you’ll have to deal with some incredibly intense humidity. Mississippi is known for being a damp state.
The weather in this state tends to be hot and humid, which doesn’t make things easy for people with arthritis. Although temperatures are slightly cooler in the winter, Mississippi gets a lot of rain during this season. If you have arthritis and you’re looking for a place to settle down, this is one state you’ll want to skip.
Best Climates for Arthritis Relief: Video, Audio and Infographic
If you would rather watch or listen than read, the best-climates guide on Graying With Grace comes in a few forms. There is a video, an audio version and an infographic.
All three cover the same ground: what weather helps arthritis, what makes it worse, and a few cities to look at.
The short version is warm, dry, mild and low in altitude. High humidity, falling barometric pressure and cold days are the things to avoid.
Cold tightens muscles and joints to hold in body heat. Those cold winter days can leave your joints stiff, and some people think their arthritis is getting worse when it is only the weather. If a move is not possible, a winter getaway gives you a break.
People in sunny desert climates report fewer flare-ups and less pain in the knees and hands. It does not cure or reverse the disease.
The infographic is a good one to pass along. It can be shared on another site, and it links back to the guide.
If you want to compare a specific area, the Arthritis Foundation has an Arthritis Weather Index. You put in a location and get a score for how the current and past weather there has affected arthritis pain.
Some people want to be near the water, and you can live near the beach and ocean in a warm, dry place like San Diego. Before you commit to any city, try one of the best places for seniors to vacation or another long visit, so you can see yourself living there.
The trade-off is that a guide, however handy in video or audio form, can only describe a place in general terms. Your own joints, your doctor and your family will have the final say.
Check Medical Care and Family Before You Move
Weather is only part of the picture. Before you settle on a place, look at who will be treating you and who will be nearby.
Make sure the area has plenty of rheumatologists. The American College of Rheumatology website is a good place to research your medical care options.
Next, try the place before you commit. Take a long but temporary vacation there, so you can see whether you can live, fit in and thrive in that spot. A long stay is a better test than a quick trip.
If you are weighing a move mainly because of cold winters, a winter getaway can also give you a taste of a milder climate without selling the house.
Then think about family. Being close to loved ones is one of the most important things to weigh. The Arthritis Foundation says that moving away from loved ones to improve your health can cause enough stress to cancel out the benefit of a warmer climate.
The trade-off is that the best place for your joints may not be the best place for the rest of your life. A sunny, dry city with few doctors, or far from your family, may leave you worse off than you expected, so it is worth talking it over with your doctor and your family first.
So, Is the Answer “Maryland Or Bust”?
Have we mentioned how great Maryland is? But even if you don’t want to move that far north, we certainly advise avoiding Georgia and Oklahoma. A few other states to avoid include Florida, Alabama, and Texas for similar reasons. And no matter where you move, make sure to bring someone to pick up that paper for you because the small things still make a big difference.
