06/09/2025
Are you experiencing muscle and joint pain during the menopause? 🦴
Changes to the way you feel pain are common during and after menopause.
Joint pain 🦴
it’s down to decreased oestrogen levels. When oestrogen levels are high, your brain’s centre for pain acts more efficiently and encourages the release of chemicals called endorphins and enkephalins. These act as natural painkillers and reduce the amount of pain we feel.
When oestrogen levels are low, these chemicals are released more inefficiently and at lower levels. This means we experience higher levels of menopause joint pain than we would have felt prior to menopause.
Tendon aches 🤯
Your tendons are the thick, tough bundles of tissue that connect muscles to bones, made mostly of a protein called collagen. The decrease in oestrogen levels at menopause causes a decline in collagen production. As well as skin and hair changes, reduced collagen can cause tendon degeneration and make them more prone to injury and wear. This is known as tendinopathy.
Tendinopathy is most commonly found in the Achilles tendon (at your heel), the rotator cuff (in your shoulder) and the patellar tendon (near your knee). Pace your exercise program and incorporate stretching into your routine to prevent and reduce tendinopathy.
Osteoarthritis 🦴
Osteoarthritis is extremely common and often known as the ‘wear and tear’ form of arthritis. It can affect any joint, from the tiny joints in your hands to larger joints, including the hip and knee.
Symptoms include joint pain in menopause or stiffness, although you may feel pain in other areas as well. You may have painful swelling of the joints or a grinding or crunching sensation when moving joints.
WHY DOES OSTEOARTHRITIS BECOME MORE COMMON AROUND THE TIME OF MENOPAUSE? 🚲 🏃🏼♀️
A joint is when two bones come together alongside other structures which cushion and protect the bony surfaces, including cartilage. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage to become thin and it struggles to regenerate, partly due to inflammation. These changes can cause pain, swelling and reduce your movement and, eventually, lead to changes in the bone itself.
We know that the female hormone oestrogen protects the body, including tissues like cartilage from inflammation. When oestrogen levels drop at menopause, inflammation and, in turn, osteoarthritis becomes more common. This why you have increased joint pain in menopause.
Don’t panic! It’s not all doom and gloom and there is something you can do. Exercise has been proven to reduce joint pain, improve physical function and increase quality of life among those with osteoarthritis. Additionally Pilates helps strengthen and stretch your muscles and joints, making it an excellent choice for bone and muscle health in menopause. Remember to:
* Pace yourself
* Engage your core
* Don’t be afraid of a little discomfort
