You’re in the attic, sorting through dusty boxes and forgotten relics of the past, when you reach for a heavy trunk and feel a twinge of discomfort shoot through your arm.
It’s a familiar sensation these days – one that seems to accompany even the simplest of tasks.
But this isn’t just a matter of getting older. It’s a journey through menopause, a phase of life marked by significant changes in your body.
What is menopause?
So, what is menopause?
Menopause is a stage marked by more than just the absence of your periods. It’s everything that accompanies it; hormonal fluctuations, hot flashes, and all sorts of (unwelcome) surprises.
This menopausal transition – the 12 months after your last period – typically occurs between the ages 45 and 55 and can last anywhere from 7 to 14 years.
The duration can vary based on lifestyle aspects like smoking, age, and racial and ethnic background. Throughout perimenopause, there’s significant fluctuation in the body’s synthesis of estrogen and progesterone, two hormones produced by the ovaries.
How does menopause affect our musculoskeletal health?
Let’s break it down. You see, when menopause hits, estrogen levels decline rapidly. Suddenly, your musculoskeletal system isn’t as strong as it used to be, and injuries seem to happen more often than before.
And it’s not just your bones & muscles feeling the pinch. Your pelvic floor, responsible for supporting the bladder, bowel, and the uterus, are also feeling the strain. Years of wear and tear, coupled with the hormonal rollercoaster of menopause, can lead to symptoms of urinary or fecal incontinence.
Estrogen also regulates the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on top of each kidney.
It plays a crucial role in the body’s response to stress, regulating a wide range of processes including metabolism, immune response, and blood pressure.
With estrogen taking a backseat during menopause, your cortisol levels go into overdrive, leaving your muscles feeling tight and achy.
This hormonal imbalance can also contribute to symptoms such as increased stress, anxiety, and changes in metabolism.
How does menopause affect ligaments & tendons?
Now, onto our ligaments & tendons… In the body’s framework, ligaments and tendons act like glue, connecting bones and muscles.
When estrogen levels drop, these connectors become stiffer because there’s less collagen. Stiffer ligaments can be good for keeping joints stable, but stiffer tendons aren’t as helpful.
When tendons don’t stretch well, the muscles they’re connected to can get strained, leading to pain and injuries.
This often happens in women’s gluteal, hamstring, Achilles, and rotator cuff tendons, causing discomfort in the hips, heels, and shoulders.
How does menopause affect bone health?
It’s crucial to keep your bones strong and healthy at every stage of life. Bones are alive and always changing – new bone is made while old bone is broken down.
When you’re young, your body makes new bones faster than it breaks down the old ones, so your bone mass increases. But around age 30, most people hit their peak bone mass, and after that, bone loss speeds up, reducing overall bone mass.
The initial stage of bone loss is osteopenia, which can progress to osteoporosis if left unchecked. Lifestyle interventions such as exercise, diet, and supplements rich in calcium & Vitamin D can help prevent both osteopenia and osteoporosis.
For women, menopause brings a drop in estrogen levels, leading to even more bone density loss.
On average, women can lose up to 10% of their bone mass in the first 5 years after menopause. This puts them at higher risk of osteoporosis, a condition where bones become thinner and more prone to fractures.
In fact, after 50 years of age, women have close to a 50% chance of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture, compared to 20% for men.
Can menopause increase the risk of arthritis?
Osteoarthritis, which causes joint swelling and cartilage damage, usually gets worse as you get older and go through hormonal changes like menopause.
While menopausal hormone therapy may offer some benefits, there’s not enough evidence to say for sure.
Lifestyle modifications, including weight management, exercise and a diet packed with omega-3 fatty acids, help slow down the progression of osteoarthritis in women after menopause.
For OA, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are commonly used together and may help reduce pain and improve joint function.
Omega-3 fatty acids, turmeric curcumin, and boswellia can also help reduce inflammation and improve joint function.
How to minimize the impact of menopause on the musculoskeletal system?
Staying active through exercise is key to keeping your bones and muscles healthy. Doing different exercises like resistance training and weight-bearing activities can help maintain bone density and build up muscle strength and mass.
The World Health Organization suggests that adults should aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, along with 2-3 sessions of resistance training.
This works out to around 30 minutes of exercise per day. And besides keeping your body strong, exercise also does wonders for your heart health and mental well-being.
The second most important thing is your diet. Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial during menopause. Certain foods like fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help reduce wear & tear on bones and ligaments.
You can even add supplements to your diet like curcumin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 after consulting your doctor.
References
- Sydney Pelvic Clinic. (n.d.). Menopause and the musculoskeletal system. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://www.sydneypelvicclinic.com.au/menopause-and-the-musculoskeletal-system/
- Greendale, G. A., & Huang, M. H. (2019). Musculoskeletal changes at menopause. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 26(7), 833–837. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000001312
- Chidi-Ogbolu, N., & Baar, K. (2019). Effect of estrogen on musculoskeletal performance and injury risk. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, Article 1834. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01834
- Nedergaard, A., Henriksen, K., Karsdal, M. A., & Christiansen, C. (2013). Menopause, estrogens and frailty. Gynecological Endocrinology, 29(5), 418–423.
- Woods, N. F., Mitchell, E. S., & Smith-DiJulio, K. (2009). Cortisol levels during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause: Observations from the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study. Menopause, 16(4), 708–718.
- Rees, J. D., Maffuli, N., & Cook, J. (2017). Management of tendinopathy. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 37(9), 1855–1867.
- Australasian Menopause Society. (2020). Retrieved from http://www.menopause.org.au
- Rizzoli, R. (2018). Postmenopausal osteoporosis: Assessment and management. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 32(5), 739–757.
- Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/bone-health/art-20045060