Menopause and Joint Pain. Seriously?
So I’m going to rant a bit today…
As if we don’t have enough issues to deal with during menopause!
I thought my joint pain was just wear and tear!
Turns out that’s not all that’s going on!
I’ve been having joint pains for a few years now. I’ve been pretty active for most of my life - dancing and running mainly.
So I figured my joint pains (mostly in my knees and hips) were due to me pounding my joints for years.
But who knew that menopause can also cause joint pain!
Although it’s not entirely clear why menopause causes joint pain, there are a few reasons the two may be connected:
Going into menopause means a decline in the hormone, estrogen which helps to keep joints healthy and pain-free. Specifically, estrogen helps to keep the cartilage in our joints healthy. So less estrogen can mean our joints become stiff and achy.
Estrogen is a natural anti-inflammatory. Less estrogen can mean more joint pain as inflammation can cause our joints to become painful.
Estrogen reduces the perception of pain, so less estrogen can mean heightened sensitivity to pain in general.
I share more about this in my most recent KARIN TALKS WELLNESS episode, you can watch it below.
IN CASE YOU DON’T KNOW ME…
I’m Karin, a certified yoga instructor based in Kingston, Jamaica.
I help women over 40 go from feeling stressed and achy to feeling great!
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