The term "menopause arthritis" has been coined because so many women develop arthritis and its accompanying aches and stiffness when they are in menopause.
Menopause causes significantly lower levels of estrogen. This loss of estrogen may be why menopausal women often complain of muscle and joint pains. Estrogen has a positive impact on the health of cartilage cells and, in addition, decreases pain perception in the brain. When estrogen diminishes, cartilage cells aren't as healthy and we feel more pain.
Drugs that Deplete Estrogen
When a woman has breast cancer, she is given medicine that blocks the enzyme that changes hormones into estrogen. These drugs are called estrogen-depleting substances. Because these women develop joint pain, there seems to be a connection between lower levels of estrogen and joint pain.
HRT May or May Not Help
Some women report reduced arthritic pain. and body pain in general, when they undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which consists of giving a woman artificial estrogen and progesterone, although there have been conflicting results.
Arthralgias
Estrogen deprivation may cause arthralgias, which is joint pain, but estrogen replacement may not be the answer because the synthetic hormone can be delivered in a dosage that is more potent or larger than would normally occur.
Osteoarthritis
Many middle-aged people, not just menopausal women, suffer from osteoarthritis, which is the breakdown of joint cartilage caused by over-use.
