Menopausal Causes of Joint Pain
Joint pain is so common in menopause that doctors call it menopausal arthritis when it occurs. While some joint pain comes from trauma or injury, this isn't always the case when discussing menopausal joint pain.
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Identification
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Women notice irregularity in their menstrual cycle as one of the first symptoms of menopause. This comes because of fluctuating hormones.
Effects
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Hormone imbalances, particularly diminishing estrogen levels, play a role in creating joint pain. While doctors are unsure why the imbalance creates the pain, they do know it is a major factor causing joint pain in menopause.
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Inflammation
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Inflammation causes joint pain. It occurs in many women before menopause but the higher estrogen levels keep the inflammation at a minimum. As the estrogen levels drop, inflammation increases. Inflammation of the joints comes from diet, stress and food allergies in addition to injury and tissue damage.
Osteoporosis
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Estrogen levels also help prevent osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bone loss and also joint pain.
Time Frame
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Wear and tear and loss of muscle tone from aging occurs at the same time as menopause and causes joint pain.
Other Causes
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Changes in the body and mood swings of menopause also cause additional stress that exacerbates joint pain. Normally, weight increases after menopause putting more stress on the joints.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Robby!
