Joint pain during menopause

Many women experience joint pain in the time leading up to menopause. These pains sometimes come with swelling that we call edema. About one in four women experiences joint pain during menopause, even if they don't have hot flashes or other typical signs.

Diagnosis of Joint Pain

When rings suddenly no longer fit, or when hands and feet feel or look different - these are often the first signs that alert us to joint pain. The intensity of these pains varies from person to person, making each experience uniquely personal.

Understanding your own medical history and your family's story becomes crucial when dealing with joint pain. There are often patterns of conditions like rheumatism or osteoporosis running through families, particularly through mothers and grandmothers. However, it's reassuring to know that joint pain experienced before or during menopause usually isn't related to joint diseases. Instead, these discomforts often stem from hormonal fluctuations in your body's natural rhythm.

Naturally Relieving Joint Pain During Menopause

The timing of symptoms or pain also plays a crucial role in diagnosis. Joint pain triggered after exercise or muscular exertion, for example, indicates acidification of the cartilage area.

If you are of menopausal age, you should pay special attention to your nutrition, particularly if you exercise. It's also important to eat something before training. For instance, a small smoothie or milkshake could help. This is because your body produces stress hormones when your blood sugar is low. This can strain your adrenal glands and lead to more stress and even burnout eventually.

It's also good to consume protein or amino acids after exercise. This should happen about 90 minutes after training.

It's important to eat something before exercise. This helps prevent weakening of the adrenal glands. A good tip: Drink a small smoothie or milkshake before training, depending on what you prefer.

I advise my patients to do this because the body produces a stress hormone called cortisol when blood sugar drops. This should be particularly avoided in the morning. Because if you exercise on an empty stomach in the morning, it can strain your adrenal glands. Excessive cortisol can lead to stress and even burnout in the long term.

Hormone Replacement Therapy with Bioidentical Hormones

For joint pain, even when swelling (edema) occurs, bioidentical hormones can help. Estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone are particularly useful here.

Estrogen supports the growth of bones and cartilage. Testosterone takes care of our muscles, and progesterone has many tasks. If you experience pain after exercise, you can also take electrolytes. These help prevent excess acid in the body.

Experience Report and Treatment

Background: A patient came to me because she had pain in her little finger. She felt the pain two days after intense training. The pain remained for 2–3 days, and then it was gone. Most of the time, the joint only hurt, and it rarely swelled.

The treatment that really helped:

• Hormone therapy: A cream containing a natural hormone called progesterone. She applied the cream directly to the painful areas.
• She changed her diet.
• Now she takes the Anti-Aging Rimkus® Therapy in capsule form.