Climacteric arthritis during menopause. Joint pain during menopause Menopause 43g, why do my legs hurt?

It begins at about 40 years of age. At this time, the production of the sex hormone - estrogen - gradually decreases. And then periods may become irregular, and over the next 10 years stop altogether. At first, the discharge may be scanty, and then stop altogether. The period of menstruation can be accompanied by nagging pain in the lower abdomen, as well as headaches and joint pain.

Actually menopause

Estrogen levels may drop to almost zero during this period. Which means. and there are practically no monthly discharges. As a rule, the period of menopause itself can begin from the age of 52 years. Heredity plays a big role in this matter. If the mother and grandmother had menopause early, then the daughter will also most likely have it early. And vice versa: a late menopause for a mother and grandmother will most likely be the same late for a daughter and granddaughter.

This period may also be accompanied by pain in the joints, neck, temples and abdomen.

Postmenopause

This period can last for several years, or even a couple of decades. It occurs a year after the end of menstruation and lasts until the end of life. For long-lived women (those over 80), the postmenopausal period can take up about a third of their entire lives. This period is also accompanied by hormonal changes and pain, mainly in the joints due to a lack of female sex hormones and, as a consequence, fragility of bone tissue.

Pain during menopause: causes and symptoms

Women often complain of joint pain during menopause or before its onset - during the premenopausal period. The causes of pain are hormonal changes in the body, increased stress, physical activity, lack of calcium (and increased fragility of joints for this reason), diseases of the spine, neuralgia, in particular of the cervical spine.

Hormonal changes in the body can also cause severe pain during menopause. Joints, legs, head, and lower abdomen may hurt. If a woman develops osteoporosis (due to increased bone fragility due to lack of hormones), she may also experience pain during menopause. The pain can also be caused by arthritis, which is called menopausal arthritis. In this case, you can help a woman with complex methods - taking hormones (hormone replacement therapy) and physical exercises, which can be calculated and developed with a specialist in physical therapy.

The onset of menopause leads to a restructuring of the body. A decrease in reproductive functions is associated with changes in a woman’s life, which are far from pleasant and can cause a lot of trouble. The state of health in general is deteriorating. A woman may constantly feel weak, tired, unwell, and also suffer from depression, mood swings, irritability and insomnia.

In addition, menopause can be accompanied by aching muscle pain. Joints often hurt during menopause. This article will tell you what to do in this case, how to treat pain and why it occurs.

Causes of joint pain during menopause

Menopause is accompanied by irreversible processes in the body: reproductive functions fade, the level of female sex hormones (estrogens) decreases. Insufficient production of estrogen can lead to a general deterioration in health and problems with the nervous system, skin, and genitourinary system. In addition, a lack of estrogen leads to calcium deficiency and, as a consequence, to loss of muscle elasticity and primary thinning of bone tissue. Accordingly, muscle pain during menopause, joint pain, and mild cramps are a natural result of calcium deficiency. Women often complain of leg pain during menopause and that it is difficult for them to exercise or walk for long periods of time. Hormonal imbalance affects the appearance of pain in the lower back and thoracic spine, knee, wrist and other joints.

If the situation is not brought under control, it may worsen: the woman may develop osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. These diseases during menopause are accompanied by more intense cramps and pain. In addition, women with osteoporosis have a sharply increased risk of fractures and dislocations.

There are several types of ailments that are accompanied by joint pain.

A common cause of joint pain during menopause is the so-called hot flashes. These are conditions that appear suddenly and disappear just as suddenly: a woman’s temperature rises, her heart rate increases, and sweating becomes more active. Can joints hurt during hot flashes? Doctors say yes. The problem of hot flashes, and therefore joint pain, can sometimes be solved with a simple sedative. However, more serious treatment (for example, hormone replacements) may be required. After successful treatment, the woman’s condition improves: the level of irritability drops, and headaches and joint pain recede.

If a woman's body weight exceeds normal values, this can cause joint pain. Women during menopause tend to become overweight because adipose tissue takes over the functions of producing estrogen, becoming a kind of replacement for the missing hormone. Extra pounds increase the load on the bones, and joint problems begin. Overweight women often have pain in their legs and back. It is difficult for them to climb stairs, squat and do basic physical work.

The cause of joint pain during menopause can be not only hot flashes, obesity and other phenomena accompanying menopause, but also serious diseases that require immediate treatment. For example, developing osteoporosis. This is a disease associated with changes in the structure of bone tissue. Osteoporosis can develop independently, or it can be a consequence of some inflammatory process.

The strength of bone tissue is achieved due to the fact that new cells are formed faster than old ones are destroyed. However, estrogen deficiency leads to the opposite process: bones become fragile and the load on joints increases. Increasing this load leads to pain in the joints and their further destruction.

Osteoporosis develops unnoticed. This is its main danger. The disease can become more active during menopause, when bone tissue is especially vulnerable and the female body lacks calcium. In women, the lower back, spine, and pelvic bones begin to ache, their legs become cold, numbness appears in the limbs, and paresthesia (a crawling sensation).

Treatment of osteoporosis is aimed at strengthening bone tissue and generally improving the condition of the musculoskeletal system. It is impossible to cure osteoporosis completely, but well-chosen medications and constant monitoring by a doctor can slow down its development and reduce the pain of symptoms.

Remembering the danger of osteoporosis during menopause, a woman should take extra care of her health.

Deforming osteoarthritis

Hormonal imbalances during menopause can lead to the development of osteoarthritis. Articular cartilage experiences increased pressure, wears out, ages, and cannot function properly. The consequence of osteoarthritis is impaired mobility and pain in the joints.

As the disease progresses, the situation worsens and can lead to inflammation in the joint, fluid accumulation, and in the worst case, complete loss of mobility of an arm or leg.

Menopause and its consequences aggravate the processes of degeneration. There is a slowdown in collagen production and disturbances in protein synthesis. Regeneration processes are inhibited, and the cartilage cannot recover. Treatment for osteoarthritis should begin immediately, because advanced disease can lead to disability.

If, in addition to pain, a woman experiences morning stiffness in movements, notices crunching and clicking in the joints, she should be checked for osteoarthritis.

The symptoms of this disease are similar to deforming osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In the morning, a woman may experience joint pain, which most often goes away by mid-day. Sometimes the joint may increase in size due to swelling.

Preventive measures

If a woman feels moderate joint pain during menopause, you can try preventive measures and treatment with folk remedies, analgesics and ointments. To prevent joint problems, you can take calcium supplements.

A woman during menopause needs to carefully review her diet. The menu must include fish and dairy products, as well as whole grain products and as many vegetables and nuts as possible.

Diagnostics

If the pain becomes more intense or is accompanied by other symptoms, and home treatment does not help, you should consult a doctor. To prescribe effective treatment, you need to understand the exact cause of joint pain. That's why you should visit a gynecologist, orthopedist and rheumatologist. The examination may include a general blood test and assessment of hormonal status, radiography of joints and osteodensitometry.

X-rays allow you to see changes in the bones and identify osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. If necessary, radiography can be supplemented with MRI or CT.

Osteodensitometry is a special way of diagnosing osteoporosis by measuring bone density.

Treatment of joint pain

What to do if joints hurt during menopause? Usually, hormonal or other specific treatment is prescribed to eliminate persistent joint pain.

Hormonal treatment

Hormonal treatment is carried out regardless of the underlying disease that caused joint pain. Its goal is to correct hormonal levels during menopause. The gynecologist prescribes the woman medications that contain progesterone or estrogen. They help stop degenerative processes in bone tissue by compensating for the deficiency of female hormones. There are a lot of hormonal drugs now, and there is no need to be afraid of using them: hormonal therapy correctly selected by a doctor (short or long, moderate or intense) will only be beneficial. Preparations with hormones can be used in the form of tablets, or in the form of suppositories, creams, injections, and patches. The course of therapy is from 1 year.

Specific treatment

Specific treatment is aimed at restoring damage. To treat osteoporosis, medications containing vitamin D and calcium are prescribed. At the same time, the treatment process is quite long.

For the treatment of osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis, anti-inflammatory drugs and medications with vitamin B are prescribed. In severe cases, corticosteroid drugs are used.

Osteoarthritis requires medications that can stimulate cartilage renewal. Medicines such as Arteparon and Rumalon provide the prerequisites for the formation of healthy cartilage. Trental and Curantil improve blood circulation and promote joint restoration. Voltaren, Novocain, Mydocalm and No-shpa relieve inflammation and fight pain.

Inflammation of the joints of the hands is treated with physiotherapy and compresses. If the pain intensifies, manual therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs are added.

Also, for the treatment of joint pain, ointments with analgesic and warming effects are prescribed. The therapy is complemented by physiotherapeutic procedures. Massage and therapeutic exercises are indicated.

conclusions

What should a woman experiencing joint pain during menopause do? First, identify the cause of the pain. Secondly, eliminate it with medication. At the same time, you should pay attention to nutrition and lifestyle in general. The diet should be enriched with vitamins, but should not lead to obesity. It is not necessary to go on a strict diet, but you should carefully monitor the composition of fats and portion sizes.

Doctors recommend not only physical therapy after menopause, but also yoga and any other gentle types of physical activity. A woman should take vitamin complexes containing calcium and carefully protect her health, because the body requires especially careful treatment during this period.

Menopause causes many negative manifestations that interfere with leading a normal lifestyle. Some women note that when menopause occurs, their joints hurt, and what to do in this case is not always clear. The fact is that these painful sensations can be caused by both a lack of hormones and other reasons.

In any case, immediate diagnosis is required, because changes in bone tissue can be irreversible and also cause stiffness in movement and severe injuries. Therefore, the health of joints and bones must be taken care of long before the onset.

What causes joint pain during menopause?

Menopause is accompanied by a decrease in the level of sex hormones. This change affects not only the reproductive system, but also the production and absorption of useful substances by the body. It is the lack of calcium and vitamin D that is the main reason why bones and joints hurt during menopause.

Such disorders can cause the following problems in the body, accompanied by pain:

1. . negatively affects the structure of bone tissue, making it weak and fragile. The rate of formation of new cells decreases against the background of rapid destruction of old ones. As a result, the load on the joints increases due to increased bone fragility.
2. Deforming osteoarthritis. During menopause, the production of collagen slows down, which is necessary to neutralize friction between joints. Here there is not only pain, but also a dry crackling sound, as well as difficulties during movement.
3. Fat deposits. Menopause resists a drop in estrogen levels, causing an increase in fat tissue. As a result, weakened bone tissues are subjected to even greater stress due to excess weight, which negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
4. Problems with blood circulation. It is this disorder that first begins to cause muscle pain during menopause. Its cause is a destabilized metabolism. Due to a lack of collagen and elastin, muscles lose their tone, and human vessels, in addition, cannot fully supply blood to the body’s tissues.
5. Nervous system disorders. Menopause also negatively affects the functioning of nerve endings, causing convulsions and goosebumps. And this factor can increase not only pain, but also worsen the condition of the joints. In this case, not only the legs hurt during menopause, but also the neck and spine.

Most often, doctors prescribe the following drugs:

• Klimonorm,
• Angelique,
• Estrofem,
• Divina,
• Ovestin,
• Aktivel,
• Cliogest,
• Estrogel.

As for the form of release of HRT drugs, these can be:

• pills,
• gels,
• drops,
• plasters,
• candles,
• ointments.

Among the phytohormones we can distinguish:

• Estrovel,
• Klimaksan,
• Klimadinon,
• Klimakt-Hel.

Patients often ask the question: “can joints hurt even after HRT is prescribed?” Here doctors pay attention to drugs with calcium, which the body lacks, selecting them based on symptoms:

• Calcium alginate (joints);
• Calcepan (prevention of osteoporosis);
• Cal-Di-Mag (against bone lesions);
• Calcium biolit (complex therapy agent);
• Osteo Complex (prevention and treatment of joint problems).

Joints can hurt for various reasons, but in all cases it is necessary to provide the body with a sufficient amount of calcium, and also take care of eliminating the causes of its impaired absorption.

Traditional medicine methods

In addition to medications and HRT, the female body needs natural support. It all starts with nutrition, where the following products must be present:

• dairy and fermented milk products;
• peas;
• oatmeal;
• nuts;
• garlic,
• mustard,
• fish,
• vegetables.

As for medicinal herbs, here you can buy ready-made tinctures, drops and ointments or prepare remedies at home using:

• Chernobyl,
• dandelion root,
• sleep-grass,
• St. John's wort,
• fragrant woodruff,
• rapeseed,
• touch-me-not grass,
• field yarutka.

Treatment of joint pain during menopause is best done under medical supervision. Of course, folk remedies are also effective, but sometimes they are not enough. In addition, it is important to accurately establish the cause of such sensations, so that the chosen drugs are beneficial and do not aggravate an existing pathology.

Menopause has many unpleasant consequences. Women tolerate some of them quite easily. But when joint pain occurs during menopause, treatment is required quickly and effectively. Without taking action, the sensation may intensify and lead to stiffness in movement and injury.

Read in this article

Why does joint pain occur during menopause?

Menopause is characterized primarily by a fall. Substances stop being produced when the supply of follicles in them comes to an end. Estrogens and progestins are involved not only in the functions of the reproductive system, but also provide many other processes, the production of vital components. And therefore, their quantitative decrease causes changes in well-being in different parts of the body.

This is the main cause of joint pain during menopause, for which treatment is mandatory. It in turn provokes other features that bring this feeling:

• Osteoporosis. This is a change in the structure of bone tissue, leading to its weakening. Its strength is ensured by the predominance of the process of formation of new cells over the destruction of old ones. A drop in hormones makes everything go the other way around. Bones become more fragile, resulting in increased stress on joints. The pain arises first from unusual pressure, and then from the gradual destruction of their tissues;
• Deforming osteoarthritis. Joints consist of cartilage, ligaments, and a sac of fluid that neutralizes friction between them. The structure of these elements is such that they require constant replenishment with collagen. Its production slows down and decreases due to a decrease in the volume of sex hormones. The fabrics wear out and become thinner. When there is pain in the joints during menopause, difficulty in movement, especially in the morning, dry crackling in this area, there is reason to suspect deforming osteoarthritis;
• . A decrease in estrogen forces the body to resist this, provoking the growth of adipose tissue, because it is the tissue that is capable of producing these hormones. Therefore, many menopausal women gain weight, which increases the stress placed on weakening bones and joints;
• Circulatory disorders. And it is caused by changes in the balance of substances. The blood supply to body tissues deteriorates, and muscle pain during menopause appears largely for this reason. A lack of collagen and elastin leads to decreased muscle tone. A malfunction in the functioning of the nervous system also contributes to provoking the sensation. Women suffer from muscle cramps, which also affect the condition of the joints.

What should you do right away to get rid of joint pain?

When joints hurt during menopause, not all women understand what to do. Most people prefer to take medications that relieve painful sensations, but this is not a solution, but postponing the problem “for later,” a temporary measure.

To choose the right treatment, you need to determine the exact cause of the pain, for which specialists (rheumatologist, orthopedist, gynecologist) prescribe an examination, which includes:

• Assessment of hormonal status according to the appropriate. It is also taken for general research;
• X-ray of joints. In this way, it is possible to identify and evaluate the changes that have occurred in them during osteoarthritis, the degree of bone destruction during osteoporosis;
• Osteodensitometry. This examination can indicate the level of bone density loss.

All this will allow us to establish a diagnosis, that is, the reason why during menopause.

Drug therapy

Since sensations in the joint area are caused by hormonal imbalances, introducing the missing substances into the body can help. It will restore the normal processes that ensure their health, which will eliminate pain and muscle cramps. We are talking about those containing synthetic hormones, primarily estrogens.

They will eliminate the causes of pain and pathological structural changes in tissues. The following drugs are used:

These can be injections, tablets, patches. With them, bone tissue will stop losing calcium, blood circulation in the muscles and the functioning of the central nervous system will be normalized. That is, the causes of pain will disappear.

If it is impossible to take hormones, the use of herbal remedies may also be effective. The substances in them are of plant origin, so joint pain during menopause will not go away so quickly, because this treatment is more gentle on the body.

However, phytohormones are also able to cope with the causes of heaviness in the legs and cramps. Experts offer the following:

• Klimadinon;
• Climaxan;
• Klimakt-Hel;
• Estrovel.

Usually, hormones, synthetic and herbal, are not the only ones in the treatment of joint pain. In addition to these, you will need vitamins, chondroprotectors, painkillers and some effort from the patient herself.

Calcium preparations

Osteoporosis always means the loss of bones, the most important condition for their strength - a mineral substance called calcium. It is found in many foods, but during menopause this amount is no longer enough to ensure their normal density. Synthetic products containing vitamins, calcium, and stimulating bone cell division are needed:

• Aquadetrim, Vigantol, Alfacalcidol. These are medications with a high concentration of vitamin D, without which the absorption of the mineral is unthinkable;
• Natekal, Calcium D3 Nycomed, Kaltsinova. These products contain the mineral in high doses, which can normalize bone density during menopause;
• Fosamax, Aklasta, Fosavance. Drugs from the list of biophosphonates, that is, capable of inhibiting osteoclasts (components that destroy bone).

Chondroprotectors and painkillers

If menopause has arrived, your joints hurt, and degenerative changes have been detected in them, this is osteoarthritis. The disease already requires funds that can stimulate cartilage renewal. Using them, it is also important to spare the sore joint, without giving it a strong load. To directly influence all its areas, several groups of means are used:

• Rumalon, Arteparon, Artron. These are chondroprotectors that provide the prerequisites for the formation of healthy cartilage;
• Curantil, Trental. Medicines improve blood supply to the joints, which contributes to their recovery;
• Ibuprofen, Voltaren, Mydocalm, Novocain, No-Shpa, Papaverine. This group of drugs helps relieve inflammation and affects pain receptors.

It will be possible to eliminate aching sensations faster if you accompany the medications with a massage from a specialist or other methods of physiotherapy.

Painful joints and menopause are a common combination. And although it almost always requires drug treatment, there are ways to prevent illness. They are also relevant when the diagnosis has already been made. This is a diet that does not allow obesity, but contains many vitamins, calcium, phytoestrogens, and reasonable physical activity.

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We have to solve the problem of which calcium is best to take during menopause. After all, there are so many preparations that contain this essential mineral. ...Pain in joints and limbs.

When joints hurt during menopause, many women do not know what to do in this situation. They experience serious pain and discomfort. Every woman over the age of 45 experiences an inevitable menopause, which entails physiological changes in the body.

The onset of menopause provokes a natural decrease in sexual functions. It causes physiological changes in the body. This period lasts for 3-5 years and causes significant discomfort, organ function is disrupted, and memory deteriorates. During this long period of time, psychological, endocrine and autonomic functions are disrupted.

Hormonal cycles and the production of steroids by the genitals are disrupted. After the loss of production of steroids and gonadotropins, eggs no longer mature, the uterine mucosa undergoes thinning, impulses to the hypothalamus become weaker, bone tissue and organs of the genitourinary system are susceptible to changes. With this type of work, the body undergoes hormonal adjustments.

Also, menopausal changes in a woman cause:

• irritability;
• feelings of nervousness;
• insomnia;
• increased sweating;
• chills;
• dizziness;
• tides;
• joint pain;
• heart pain;
• painful sensations in the mammary glands and genitals.

Hot flashes are a rather unpleasant factor in menopause. It manifests itself like this: the temperature in the face, arms and neck rises, the heart rate increases, sweat is released profusely, and the skin begins to turn red.

The incident in the form of tides is characterized by the suddenness of their appearance; the tide also ends rapidly. During hot flashes, your joints, chest and lower abdomen may hurt. Heart pain that is not associated with physical activity and does not go away after taking medications (validol, nitroglycerin) is different from angina pectoris; its duration is longer.

During this time, these pains either intensify or weaken. Such pain and lack of air do not lead to significant damage to the heart; if such a menopausal effect is detected, it is necessary to visit a gynecologist’s office. Often, a woman’s condition rapidly improves after adjusting her daily routine and taking sedatives in small doses.

Sometimes there is a need for treatment with hormone substitutes; the doctor chooses the tactics of individual therapy, since hormonal drugs may not have a beneficial effect on the body. The body may not fully recover from menopause due to natural changes over time and not due to the effects of any disease.

The use of hormonal drugs, antidepressants and vitamin complexes prescribed by a gynecologist or endocrinologist can improve the condition; self-medication is strictly contraindicated. Over time, the woman becomes less irritable, and headaches and joint pains cease to bother her.

Often women, not yet faced with menopause, wonder whether muscles and joints can hurt and how this happens. Menopausal changes are irreversible due to the woman’s age. In addition to the feeling of aching in the lumbar region, joints and muscles hurt during menopause. There may also be a feeling of malaise associated with pathologies that appear against the background of hormonal changes.

Why is this happening? The thing is that estrogen reduces its synthesis functions, and the functioning of the ovaries deteriorates, fading over time. These sexual changes provoke the occurrence of osteoporosis and increase the risk of bone fractures, which become more fragile and vulnerable. Destructive effects on bone tissue cause more frequent dislocations and fractures.

Painful muscle and joint sensations can be signs of an orthopedic disease such as arthritis. Another menopausal disease may be osteochondrosis, associated with degenerative disorders of the intervertebral discs and ligaments. Due to this, muscle elasticity is lost and pain occurs. This disease may cause a hernia.

What to do with troubling joint and muscle pain during menopause and is it possible to normalize the condition? Yes, such a possibility exists if the cause of the deterioration is correctly identified. This cause must be eliminated with medication or prevented by preventive measures.

Progressive osteoporosis during menopause must be treated. Proper treatment will help strengthen bone tissue and improve the condition and functioning of the musculoskeletal system. It is impossible to eliminate this disease, but properly selected medications will help reduce the progression of the disease and improve the woman’s condition as a whole.

Prevention and therapy of osteochondrosis include increased physical activity of women, therapeutic physical education classes, which will help strengthen muscles and ligaments in order to prevent deformation.

Menopausal age should be a signal for a woman that her body requires careful treatment with proper rest and nutrition.

Your daily diet should include fruits and vegetables.

To normalize metabolism and facilitate menopause, women are prescribed the following vitamins:

• thiamine;
• retinol;
• ascorbic acid;
• pyridoxine;
• tocopherol;
• calciferol.

The period when joints hurt during menopause requires careful therapy.

If you do not consult a doctor, a disease of the musculoskeletal system can lead to significant disorders of the body and serious consequences.