The culprit is a drop in estrogen levels, which can also be felt in the muscles. Read why joint and muscle pain is not uncommon during menopause and how to get your joints back on track.
Joint pain: fatigue or menopause?
In addition to cycle fluctuations, hot flashes, sleep disorders or palpitations, joint pain (arthralgia) is also one of the typical menopausal complaints. pain in the joints, legs, fingers, muscle pain or diffuse pain everywhere are not uncommon in menopause. Some movements suddenly feel out of round or straining. The resulting reduced mobility in turn affects the quality of life. If the day begins with morning stiffness or it takes hours to get going, it's no walk in the park.
The joints have important functions. They provide stability and mobility. In the course of our lives, they do a lot of hard work – every day and also at night. They carry, crank and spring us through life, just as muscles do. During menopause, their suppleness, flexibility and dampening power diminish. On the one hand, this is due to wear and tear and natural aging processes, on the other hand, it is due to serious hormonal changes and the decreasing estrogen level.
A simple rule is: If you rarely had pain in your joints before menopause, menopause is probably the reason. Important to know: In the case of aching joints or muscle pain, inflammation or disease can also play a role. Therefore, if you have joint pain, always go to the doctor. Get your symptoms checked out. Our detailed Meno-Check history sheet will help you to prepare for your appointment in a well-considered way and will also help you to better narrow down your complaints.
Joint and muscle pain during menopause due to estrogen deficiency
Why do joint pain, muscle pain or pain in general occur more often during menopause than in the years before?? There are two main culprits: The Hormones and the Age.
Hormones, especially estrogens and progestins such as progesterone, are on a downward trend during menopause. In the first phase of menopause, the Premenopause, which in most Women between 45 and 47 years begins, first the progesterone decreases. In the second phase, the Perimenopause, with about 50 years, also the estrogen. Both hormones, which ideally lead a harmonious relationship, no longer see eye to eye. First one hormone dominates, then the other. At the time of the very last period, the so-called Menopause, with about 52 years, Both hormones reach their lowest point.
Progesterone Estrogen mid 40 ca. 51 Last menstrual period (menopause) 52
The result of these hormonal imbalance are menopausal symptoms with many faces, as estrogen and progesterone perform important functions – both physical and psychological. Estrogen brings vitality and zest for life, progesterone brings balance and relaxation.
Estrogen also oils the joints. To be more precise: It supplies the synovial membranes and especially the connective tie around the joints with Fluid And promotes blood flow. The low estrogen concentration now causes an undersupply of fluid in the synovial membranes and thus also poorer blood circulation. The result: the joint stiffens. Becomes more immobile. Since estrogens also have an anti-inflammatory effect, this good property also decreases significantly due to their falling level. Probably the best-known consequence of this: arthritis.
"Good day, I am 49 years old and my menstruation has been absent for the last 18 months. Until my 45. In the second year of my life my menstruation was very regular. I weigh 64 kg. Since ca. 2-3 years everything is too much for me, I get stressed quickly and also have regular mood swings and I am often exhausted and tired. I do not have hot flashes or sleep disturbances. But since a few weeks joint-. Muscle pain in the left arm added. I pay a lot of attention to my diet. Do sport regularly. I would like to get rid of the joint pain and feel fit and well again instead of exhausted and stressed. What do you advise? And at what point are menopausal through? I would prefer naturopathic methods. Kind regards – age: 49, date last period: 2018-05-01, weight: 64 kg, height: 1.69 cm"
After your period has been absent for a long time, you might already be in a severe estrogen deficiency due to menopause. Symptoms vary from woman to woman, so joint problems or mood swings may well be the main concern. Plant estrogens may help with mild hot flashes, which you are unlikely to have. To preserve joint function and bone mass as well as bone fine structure, d.h. also for osteoporosis prophylaxis, it needs the body's own bioidentical estradiol, which your ovaries themselves have produced for at least 35 years! I highly recommend estradiol application through the skin as a gel. Typically, one stroke of estradiol dosage gel is applied before bedtime, and to keep the uterine lining from building up, a capsule containing 100 mg of progesterone is taken daily to accompany it.
21. November 2019
In addition, the probability increases with advancing age, Osteoporosis (bone loss), Osteoarthritis (wear and tear of the joints) or inflammatory diseases such as Arthritis to develop – here, too, the hormones have their hands in the game. But that's not all: in addition, the general health of the body decreases Pain threshold, because a balanced estrogen level releases pain-relieving endorphins, which are now missing.
For the aging joints not a rosy outlook – in addition have Women a higher risk at Rheumatism Or to suffer from osteoarthritis than men. Nevertheless, joint or muscle pain during menopause is not a law of nature. Some women are spared.
Other causes of joint painn can be hard knocks, bacterial infections such as Lyme disease, metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, vitamin deficiencies, overexertion from too much sport, incorrect movements or postures, heavy work through to extreme stress or obesity.
Pain here and there: these joints and muscles pinch especially in the climacteric period
The following joints, muscles or muscle parts are more sensitive or prone to pain during menopause than others:
– shoulders – neck – back – fingers and hands – knees – hips
It is not always clear whether the painful joint is reacting to hormone changes or whether other causes such as arthrosis (wear and tear), arthritis or other rheumatic diseases are behind it. Roughly, it can be categorized: If the knees, hips or ankles hurt, this tends to indicate joint wear and tear (osteoarthritis). Inflammatory joint diseases (such as z.B. rheumatoid arthritis, colloquially also called rheumatism), on the other hand, are more frequently expressed in the joints at the base of the fingers, the middle joints of the fingers, the wrists or the joints at the base of the toes.
Bursitis, the consequence of heavy physical strain, chronic wear and tear due to age or rheumatic diseases, are primarily noticeable in the hip, elbow, knee or shoulder.
A clear determination is not always possible. Therefore, self-diagnosis is not recommended, even if thousands of advice sites on the Internet or well-intentioned tips from friends tempt you to do so. It is better to contact a doctor. The more reliable the diagnosis, the more precise the choice of the right therapy. When do joint-. Muscle pain on?Joint or muscle pain can occur in any Phase of menopause occur. Both in premenopause at the beginning of the menopause and afterward in perimenopause or postmenopause, the time after the last menstrual period (menopause).
A Certain accumulation of joint pain is typical for the time of postmenopause – from the age of about 52 years to 65 years. Compared to the initial phase of menopause, the likelihood of developing osteoporosis increases significantly. 40 percent of all women suffer from joint pain at this stage. Estrogen production is now at its limit. This means that the skeleton, bones, joints and muscles lack essential substances.
Mean duration of symptoms is 7.4 years – of which 4.5 years are postmenopausal. Whether joint or muscle pain occurs during this time also depends on your lifestyle.
What about osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and arthritis? Regression (degeneration) of articular cartilage – it occurs over years. Appears all at once as if out of nowhere. Osteoarthritis is the most common cause for joint pain. 40 percent of women between the ages of 55 and 64 are affected, compared with only 28.2 percent of men. The target of osteoarthritis is often the knee, followed by the back in the area of the cervical spine or the lumbar region. A typical symptom of osteoarthritis is the so-called Morning stiffness and Pain during stress. The sooner arthritis is stopped and treated, the greater the chances of a cure.
Arthritis is the term for a Joint inflammation. Diseases that can trigger joint inflammation include rheumatism, gout, bacterial or viral infections (z.B. Lyme disease or hepatitis B). Pain from arthritis often manifests itself in rheumatism in the fingers, hands, toes, or spine around the neck and back of the head. Gout first manifests itself at the base joint of the big toe or shows up at the knee, ankle, metatarsal, hand or finger joint. Arthritis is characterized by swollen or reddened joints that may also feel hot to the touch. Arthritic complaints occur both under stress and at rest. In contrast to osteoarthritis, which is only noticeable under load.
Osteoporosis, Also Bone loss called skeletal disease. Due to the lower mineral salt content in the bones with age, they lose strength and break more easily. Osteoporosis is gradual. It usually manifests itself when minor injuries or everyday stresses lead to bone fractures. Probably the best known expression of this is the femoral neck fracture or the so-called hunchback.
Ciao pain! Help and therapy
joint pain, muscle pain or general pain is neither an inevitable fact nor a verdict of immobility. Numerous therapies effectively alleviate the pain. With a healthy lifestyle, a sensible diet, plenty of sport and exercise, you can additionally reduce the symptoms or even prevent them from occurring in the first place.
One of the most important therapies for menopausal joint pain is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The interesting thing: it happens to offer the possibility of diagnosis. Because if administration of the missing hormones brings significant relief of joint pain, this is a clear indication of the hormonal cause of the symptoms. Nevertheless, your doctor must rule out other causes before initiating hormone replacement therapy.
Another advantage of HRT is its additional preventive benefit. You lowers the risk of osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease significantly. Many studies prove the positive effects of estrogen intake on the skin Bone density and thus reduces the number of bone fractures. It has been shown that estrogen-progestin treatment for an average of 5.6 years can reduce the risk of bone fractures by 24 percent. Even very small amounts of estrogen bring the positive effect.