One of the reasons I’m interested in women’s health is because I assess more women between the age of 45-55, than any other age or gender group. I believe the reason I treat many women of this age, is because of the hormone imbalance they experience during the peri-menopause and menopause.
I have found that many women do not associate their muscle and joint pain with menopause, and do not fully comprehend how menopause can affect their physical, mental, and emotional health. These experiences have led me to further research menopause, enabling me to offer health advice, muscle and joint pain treatment, and guide women towards additional sources of information and help.
This blog will briefly describe menopause, explain what may contribute towards muscle and joint pain during menopause, describe how I can help, and provide external sources of information.
It’s estimated that 71% of women experience muscle and joint pain during peri- menopause.
What are peri-menopause and menopause?
Peri-menopause – Fluctuating levels of oestrogen and progesterone create a hormone imbalance. Periods gradually begin to change in nature or frequency, reducing the levels of oestrogen and progesterone within the body. Most women begin to experience symptoms of peri-menopause around the age of 45.
An estimated 1 in 20 women experiences menopause between the age of 40- 45, and 1 in 100 before the age of 40.
Menopause – When the ovaries stop producing eggs and women do not have a period for 12 consecutive months. The average age of menopause is 51.
What causes muscle and joint pain during menopause?
The exact cause of joint pain during menopause remains unclear. It is thought a combination of factors contributes towards increased levels of pain.
Reduced levels of oestrogen – Oestrogen plays a key role in inflammatory and immune reactions. Increased inflammatory responses towards infections have been found in post-menopausal women, in comparison to men. As oestrogen levels decline, the inflammatory response towards muscle and joint injuries may upsurge, increasing pain.
Oestrogen plays an essential role in bone health by stimulating the activity of cells known as osteoblasts, which produce new bone tissue throughout life. A reduction in oestrogen reduces osteoblast activity, decreasing bone strength, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Weight gain – Hormone fluctuations during the peri-menopause can affect metabolism and increase fat storage around the abdomen. Weight gain increases pressure upon joints, commonly affecting the lower back, pelvis, hip, knee, ankle, and foot.
A collection of menopausal symptoms increasing stress – Difficulty sleeping, hot flushes, and headaches are all common symptoms of menopause. These symptoms can exacerbate other menopausal symptoms; fatigue, stress, and anxiousness. Stress causes muscles to become tense, reducing joint movement, increasing inflammation, causing pain.
Women who experience sleep disturbance, have been found to have increased pain severity, and are more likely to report other menopause symptoms; anxiety, stress, tension, and depression.
How I can help?
Women who do not link their symptoms to peri-menopause can experience health-related anxiety. I help women to understand that there could be a chemical cause for how they are feeling. This helps to reduce their anxiety, empowering them to gain further menopause knowledge and make lifestyle/healthcare changes to improve their symptoms.
I consider health to be a unit of mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Although hands-on treatment primarily focuses on improving joint mobility and reducing muscle tension, it can have a much wider effect. Reduced joint pain can improve sleep quality, reduce stress, improving both physical and mental wellbeing.
I encourage my patients to resume/continue the physical activities they previously enjoyed before their symptoms began, and to explore new forms of exercise. Exercise is extremely beneficial during menopause, strengthening muscles, stimulating blood flow, lymphatic drainage, helping to combat weight gain, and positively influencing mental health.
Recommended source
I highly recommend reading Dr. Louise Newson’s book ‘Preparing for the peri-menopause and menopause.’ Her evidence-based work has transformed many women’s lives and helped to dispel the myths surrounding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
“For the majority of women, the benefits of HRT outweigh any risks”, Dr. Louise Newson.
Dr. Newson describes menopause as “a long-term hormone deficiency, which with the right support, treatment and lifestyle changes, can be managed so that the symptoms improve and, more importantly, women’s future health improves”.
How is peri-menopause diagnosed?
There are no definitive tests that can diagnose peri-menopause. Dr. Newson has created an app called ‘balance’, which can help to track period cycle and symptoms aiding women to self-diagnose, before approaching a health professional, such as their GP.
Dr. Newson has created a balance menopause website (click the link underneath this paragraph), with access to evidence-based resources, further information, and advice.
