Studies in climate chambers show that a sudden drop in the barometric pressure or a sudden rise in the humidity does produce increased stiffness and pain in many people with arthritis. It is not specific to RA because it occurs in many people with old injuries to joints. Another prominent feature of RA is the rheumatoid nodule . These are painless lumps you can feel under your skin. They occur on the bony part of the forearms, around the ankles, or even the pulp of the fingers.
Some doctors think they are lumps of inflammation around small blood vessels.
These lumps rarely cause problems and usually last only a few months. The nodules can occur in other rheumatic diseases as well. Inflammation is another symptom and can lead to injury to the joints. However, months and even years can pass before sufficient injury to the joints shows up in x-rays. Inflammation of the tendons, muscles, and tissues around the joints also causes trouble by reducing your lifestyle and functioning due to pain.