What To Do About Menopause Joint Pain?

Menopause can be a rollercoaster of emotions and uncomfortable experiences, and joint pain is one among them. But fret not, there is a solution to every problem, right? 

If you are a woman in menopause or nearing menopause, you might be quite familiar with that persistent feeling of pain in various parts of your body. But mostly, the pain happens in your joints and is characterized by a dull ache or shooting sensation. It prevents you from bending down, being more flexible, or even engaging in simple activities like sitting and standing.

If you are familiar with these instances, you might be suffering from menopause joint pain. This article examines joint pain during menopause and discusses what to do about it. Take a deep breath and read on to find out what to do about menopause joint pain!

What Is Menopause Joint Pain?

In other words, menopausal joint pain is also called menopausal arthralgia and is common among women during the menopausal transition. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis done by Neural Plasticity Journal, around 71% of perimenopausal women struggle with musculoskeletal pain including joint pain.

Menopause joint pain can affect various joints such as the ones in the hands, hips, knees,  and spine. The pain is usually characterized by stiffness, ache, and swelling in the joints. There are various factors associated with the cause of menopause joint pain and the most prominent among them are shifting women’s hormone levels.

But along with this, other factors such as BMI, menopausal status, stress levels, etc can also have a crucial impact on the intensity of the joint pain. The next section will detail some of the major causes behind menopausal joint pain in detail.

Why do people experience menopause joint pain?

One of the primary causes of joint pain at menopause is a drop in your estrogen levels. Estrogen is an important female sex hormone that influences every part of your body. But as you age, these hormone levels go to a low level causing many symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, mood changes, insomnia, night sweats, etc.

And research shows that the drop in estrogen also causes you to have joint pain. Having anti-inflammatory properties, the scarcity of estrogen in your body increases the chance of inflammation and joint discomfort. Also, experts point out that almost all your musculoskeletal tissues have estrogen receptors which makes them highly sensitive to the presence of estrogen.

As per a study published in the  Arthritis Research& Therapy journal, estrogen was found to be crucial in the maintenance of cartilage and subchondral bone in the context of knee arthritis.  So when your estrogen levels go low, it leads to more friction in your joints and leads to conditions like joint pain. 

Other possible causes of joint pain during menopause

Apart from hormonal fluctuations, some other possible causes of joint pain during menopause include:

• Aging- It is normal to develop degenerative joint conditions such as osteoarthritis as you age. Years of joint wear and tear can destroy your cartilage and will cause joint pain.

• Decreased muscle mass- In medical terms, it is called sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass due to aging. Your muscles are crucial to support joint function so losing muscle mass can increase your risk of joint pain and injuries.

• Weight gain- The hormonal changes during menopause can lead to weight gain which can also cause joint pain and discomfort. When the weight on your knees and hips increases, it leads to pain and injuries.

• Changes in bone density-   Changes in bone density and its decline can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis. This further increases the chance of fractures and inflammation causing joint pain.

• Inflammatory conditions- Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis make your body attack its joints. This leads to pain and swelling causing inflammation in the joints.

• Lifestyle and physical activity factors– As per research published in BMC Public Health journal, the lifestyle of older women can have an impact on how healthy their joints are. The more sedentary their lifestyle, the more chance of joint pain and discomfort.

How to manage menopause joint pain?

Try following at-home methods and remedies to relieve joint pain due to menopause at home:

• Start exercising– The age-old wisdom to reduce joint pain and discomfort lies in movement. You need to regularly move your body, especially joints to relieve menopausal joint pain and discomfort. It is ideal to choose low-impact and moderate exercises such as yoga, walking, swimming, etc.
• Consume a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods– Known to make a big difference, anti-inflammatory foods can relieve pain and joint stiffness. Some of the food items in this group include turmeric, cinnamon, oily fish, nuts, seeds, quinoa, soybeans, etc.
• Include phytoestrogens in your diet– Phytoestrogen can balance your estrogen levels and relieve most of the symptoms of menopause such as joint pain. Foods rich in phytoestrogens include flax seeds and soybeans.
• Weight loss- Another method that is guaranteed to relieve you from menopausal joint pain is weight loss. If you are currently overweight and obese and are unable to address the joint discomfort, start by losing weight. Eat a nutritious diet and go for regular exercise.
• Lower your stress levels- Ample studies are showing that higher stress levels can accentuate joint pain and discomfort during menopause. So it is ideal to have some stress-relieving practices like mindfulness meditation and spending time in nature, etc.

Treatments for menopause joint pain

There are some treatment options available for menopause joint pain and they include:

• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)- This process involves taking medications that can increase estrogen levels in your body. When estrogen levels are replenished, it will reduce inflammation and thereby relieve you from joint pain. Also, HRT helps to alleviate joint discomfort by improving your joint health and providing bone density support. 

• Acupuncture- This is an alternative medical practice that claims to help relieve joint pain and discomfort. It is carried out by putting small needles into specific areas of your body that are supposed to stimulate your nerves and muscles. 

• Over-the-counter pain killers- Some of the OTC medications that can alleviate pain to some extent include Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, and other topical pain relief gels and creams.

• Taking supplements- Consuming certain joint health supplements has been guaranteed to relieve you from menopausal joint pain. Some of these include fish oil supplements, curcumin-based supplements, vitamin-D formulations, glucosamine formulations, etc.

When should you consult a doctor?

If you are experiencing excruciating pain in your joints even after following all these remedies and treatments, you need to consult your doctor. If the condition interferes with your everyday life, it might be because of some serious underlying cause other than menopause.

Look out for severe and persistent joint pain accompanied by redness, swelling, and inability to move. Your doctor may diagnose you and check you for whether these are not due to conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, etc as these have a higher chance of developing during menopause.

Conclusion

Menopause joint pain is a common condition that affects around 71% of women during the perimenopausal stage or the menopause transition stage. It is also called menopausal arthralgia.

The joint pain during this phase mainly affects the joints in the hands, hips, legs, etc. It is characterized by pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints that limits your movements. One of the most common causes behind menopausal joint pain is an imbalance in estrogen levels, which naturally declines as you age.

Other factors that lead to this issue include aging, weight gain, muscle loss, sedentary lifestyle, inflammatory conditions, etc. There are some at-home treatments one can do to relieve pain from menopausal joint pain. It includes following a regular exercise regimen, consuming a diet rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and phytoestrogens, lowering stress and anxiety, etc.

Along with that, one can also go for hormonal replacement therapy and consume over-the-counter medications and supplements. If the pain is not relieved and interferes with daily life, you need to consult your doctor immediately.

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