What is the treatment for Menopause Joint pain?

menopause and achy joints menopause symptoms Mar 06, 2021

What is the treatment for Menopause Joint pain?

Hands up if your your joints creak when you walk down the stairs? Or have you noticed that your shoulders are painful & your fingers & wrists hurt?

It's very frustrating when your once strong and pain free body, becomes old overnight and simple things like walking down the stairs are suddenly not so easy!

Once you understand WHY you are noticing these changes, you can start to make some simple changes to improve things.

The good news is, is DOES improve and you CAN be pain free again!

Why do we experience Menopause Join Pain?

As we head out of our 30's and into our 40's, the amount of the hormone Oestrogen, produced mainly in the ovaries, starts to slow down. Oestrogen is a female hormone with hundreds of functions, when the levels drop which is a natural part of peri -menopause, we start to notice the affect.

Peri - Menopause - what's that?

It's the name for the time when the hormone productions start to slow down and it can last for 7-10 years. It's not just Oestrogen that declines, it's Progesterone and also Testosterone.

In some women, this phase starts in the early to mid 40's, others may go into menopause in their late 30's. During this phase you will still be having periods, but they may be irregular, very heavy or light. Once you haven't had a period for 12 month you move from Peri-menopause to Menopause - but just for 24 hours, then you are said to be Post Menopause.

Throughout all of these phases the imbalance and slow decline in hormones often results in joint pain and stiffness, but very few women are aware of the link.

The reason this happens is because Oestrogen has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps with joint lubrication; low levels can cause joints to be painful and stiff.

These are the things you can think about to prevent joint pain linked to declining oestrogen:

DRINK. Be sure to drink lots of water so you stay hydrated, especially if you're suffering hot flushes or night sweats. Aim for 2litres each day.
MOVE MORE. However much you feel like staying still on the sofa, that won’t help! Find ways that you can keep your joints moving: dance round the kitchen, enjoy a gentle walk in nature, or make a decision that you will try pilates, yoga or swimming as they are good low impact options.
HRT. Consider the benefits of HRT because it replaces low oestrogen, often joint symptoms will ease in a matter of days. Talk to your GP or health practitioner to talk it through.
EAT WELL. A diet that contains lots of colour, especially leafy green vegetables, is optimum for many menopause symptoms. You might choose to add some supplements in particular Omega 3 which has anti-inflammatory properties, but you can find it in: oily fish, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds as well as supplements. Some women take Evening Primrose Oil but the clinical evidence of its' efficacy is weak.
MAGNESIUM. It turns out our grandmothers were right! Epsom salts, which contain magnesium, can really help ease the aching and they have the added benefit of helping you relax and get off to sleep too! I

There are many different types of Magnesium and each one purports to be more effective in a particular area. My suggestion is that you visit your local independent health food shop and ask for advice or speak to a nutritionist.

Warning - Magnesium citrate can make your stools softer and more frequent, great if you suffer with constipation, not needed if you don't!
HOT AND COLD. Try using a heat pack if your joints are stiff, and an ice pack if they are swollen. It’s fine to switch from one to the other. Both of these can help to relieve the symptoms.
THERAPY. Some people have reported good results with Acupuncture, this can be done by some GP’s, your physiotherapist or an acupuncturist.

What we eat and how we move can make a huge difference to how we feel during our midlife years. Rather than stopping exercise because of painful joints, in fact, daily movement becomes a MUST but it is important that the exercise and movement is aimed at the right level.