Joint pain related to menopause
After hot flashes and night sweats, joint pain is the most common symptom women experience in the years leading up to menopause. If you've got sore joints, and you've ruled out arthritis (which strikes up to one in three Canadian women between the ages of 55 and 64), you might point your aching finger at perimenopause.
However, you can't peg this menopausal booby prize entirely on estrogen. "Studies have looked at hormones and joint pain," says Gillian Hawker, a professor of medicine and rheumatology at Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, "but those showing a direct relationship [between the two] haven't been convincing."
More likely suspects? Lifestyle changes. And if your mom has arthritis or you're predisposed to joint disease, lifestyle factors can crank up the pain volume further.
"Estrogen is important to how we process pain in the central nervous system," says Hawker. "Wacko surges and falls in estrogen have been associated with increased pain." Still, she adds, bouncing hormone levels comprise one of many stage-of-life factors that can put you at risk for soreness. Here are the rheumatologist's top four causes of joint pain during perimenopause, particularly for those with osteoarthritis, plus her prescription.
1. Insomnia
"Sleep is often disrupted at this time of life," says Hawker. "And that is associated with decreased pain tolerance. So a person who's not sleeping well is likely to experience more pain."
2. Depressed mood
Who's going to feel everything's comin' up roses when their Egyptian cotton sheets are drenched in sweat and they know the 4 a.m. TV lineup by heart? "Sleep-mood pain links haven't been appreciated enough," says Hawker. "If we can improve sleep and mood, we will improve pain."
3. More sitting, less exercise
Inactivity is a surefire recipe for pain. "Anyone will recognize that if they're still for a long time, they become stiff and sore," says Hawker. Now think of what long periods of inactivity can do over the course of years.
4. Weight gain
Greater girth punches up pain in ways science is just starting to understand. "We know weight gain is related to an increased risk for arthritis," says Hawker. According to the rheumatologist, more body fat may produce factors that send our immune system into overdrive, ratcheting up pain in people with osteoarthritis. "But," she points out, "this is still largely unstudied.
The prescription: Keep moving
"Physical activity is the panacea at this age," says Hawker. "And you're not putting your joints at risk by being active." That said, if you experience pain in your joints that is affecting your ability to function, you should see your doctor.
Read more about early menopause symptoms.
Get moving: Beat midlife bulge, flatten your abs to prevent back pain, and try yoga to stretch and strengthen your muscles.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2010 issue of More.
