Finding Relief Outdoors: How Weather And Nature Can Work Together To Ease Chronic Pain

Back Pain? Nature May Be The Answer

An exciting new study suggests something as simple as getting outside in nature could make a real difference for people living with chronic pain.

For Dr. Adam Kreitenberg, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist, this research confirms what he’s believed to be true all along: Helping patients manage chronic pain isn’t just about prescribing pills, it’s about seeing the full picture of human health, including how we move, eat, think and even how much sunlight we get.

Researchers in the United Kingdom interviewed 10 people living with low back pain, most of whom had been dealing with it for nearly 20 years.

What they discovered was striking: Many said that spending time outdoors gave them moments of pain-free calm.

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That exposure doesn’t have to mean hiking through the wilderness, explained Kreitenberg. "It can be as simple as going out on your balcony and appreciating everything that's out there. You could have a backyard where you do gardening. You could have a local park that you go to, or maybe you live in a rural area and you have a forest that's around you."

The key, experts say, is to use nature as an opportunity for mindfulness.

"You're going out of your way to be in nature or appreciate everything that is in nature. So be mindful, pay attention to the sounds, pay attention to the sights, pay attention to the smells," Kreitenberg said. "All of those things together create the perfect distraction from pain."

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Experts behind the study, published in the Journal of Pain, say this growing interest in "green social prescribing" (when doctors recommend time in nature or outdoor activities) could open new doors in how we think about pain management.

That holistic philosophy is deeply personal for Kreitenberg, who chose rheumatology after watching his mother suffer from psoriatic arthritis when he was a child.

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Researchers also noted patients were less stressed and felt more uplifted — all things that were able to dampen the overall perception of pain. "Being outdoors and that mindfulness really helps to calm your nerves, helps uplift mood and, in doing so, reduces stress hormones," Kreitenberg added.

While nature alone may not directly reduce inflammation, Kreitenberg says the behaviors that come with spending time outside often do.

"You're outside, you're moving," he said. "All of that movement, the movements of your joints, the muscles, the tendons, all of that stuff can kind of set off pathways that can be anti-inflammatory in the body. And not only that, help improve flexibility, mobility and be more functional."

Moderate sunlight exposure — just 10 to 20 minutes a day — can also help regulate the immune system and support bone health.

"Our body can actually produce vitamin D as a result of the exposure to sunlight, and it's actually different than the vitamin D that we would otherwise get from our diet," Kreitenberg explained. "Taking in that vitamin D we know is very, very important for bone health and maintaining bone strength."

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And if the weather’s bad?

"Creating a space in your home is very, very important," suggested Kreitenberg. "Ideally, it's next to a window that allows for the entrance of natural light, but you can set up your home in that space with greenery … spend time in that area. Open the window, get fresh air coming in."

The study’s authors say more research is needed to understand exactly how nature fully affects pain. For now, your homework is easy: Take even a small moment outdoors to see how much it may help lighten your load.

Weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.