How to Treat Menopause Joint Pain and Find Relief
Menopause joint pain is common to experience during menopause and can cause discomfort. It can be caused by low levels of estrogen, which may lead to painful joints, a higher risk of osteoporosis, and inflammation. You can reduce the symptoms of menopause joint pain by using a zero gravity chair, eating anti-inflammatory food, and exercising often.
What Causes Menopause Joint Pain?
Joint pain and menopause can be caused by a variety of different factors including change of hormones, lack of estrogen, weight gain, aging, and decreased muscle mass. Your physical activity and lifestyle factors can also contribute to your menopause joint pain. Knowing what causes menopause joint pain helps you catch the symptoms early so you can treat them right away and avoid flare ups.
Common causes of menopause joint pain include:
Lack of estrogen: Estrogen can protect against anti-inflammatory effects, so a low level of estrogen can result in an increase of inflammation in the body.
Weight gain: Hormonal changes and a slower metabolism can contribute to weight gain. Additional weight can add more stress on your joints, increasing the menopause joint pain.
Aging: With time, your joints can experience a breakdown of cartilage, causing pain and discomfort.
Menopause Joint Pain Symptoms
Menopause joint pain symptoms are pretty easy to spot once you know what they are. Identifying symptoms quickly can help you treat flare-ups before they worsen. Knowing what your most common symptoms are can help you lessen the pain quicker while also providing menopause joint pain relief.
Women may experience these menopause joint symptoms:
- Shooting pains
- Stiffness in the joints
- Joints are swollen
- Cracking sounds when you move your joints
How To Treat Menopause Joint Pain
While menopause and joint pain can be uncomfortable, there are several different ways on how to improve joint health and find relief. Moving, exercising, and stretching can help reduce pain, stiffness, and weight gain to keep added stress off the bones and joints. Other ways to find menopause joint pain relief include trying acupuncture, applying ice and heat, and taking supplements for improving joint health.
There are options when finding menopause joint pain relief including:
- Learning how to increase your metabolism after 40
- Using a zero gravity recliner for menopause joint pain relief
- Performing low-impact exercises that are easy on your joints
- Making lifestyle changes such as eating healthier, moving more, and managing stress
- Alternating between hot and cold therapy
- Consider hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
1. Increasing your metabolism after 40
As we get older, our metabolism slows down which can lead to weight gain and declining energy levels. Fortunately, it is possible to increase your metabolism and help keep the extra weight off your joints. Some ways to increase your metabolism after 40 include upping your fiber intake, eating lean protein, and staying hydrated.
2. Using a Zero Gravity Recliner
Investing in a zero gravity recliner is a great way of how to keep joints healthy. These recliners are designed to evenly distribute your body weight by elevating your legs at your heart's level. This position can help improve blood circulation which can reduce joint inflammation.
There are also plenty of zero gravity chair activities you can do to help improve menopause and joint pain such as: doing simple exercises in your chair, reducing stress by meditating in the recliner, and applying heat and massage therapy with a heated zero gravity chair.
3. Performing Low impact Exercises
Doing low impact exercises is a great way to maintain your weight without adding pressure to your joints. Low impact exercises are physical activities that put minimal stress on joints, making them a perfect way to work out safely. Some examples of low impact exercises you can do include pilates, yoga, swimming, and elliptical training.
4. Making Lifestyle Changes
More than half of women experience Arthralgia (joint pain) around the time of menopause. Fortunately, improving menopause joint pain is as easy as making some simple lifestyle changes. These changes include learning how to increase mobility and flexibility, managing your stress, and eating healthier.
Consult with your doctor to see how you can tweak your diet to include more foods that strengthen the bones. Swap out your running routine for a low impact exercise such as the elliptical to reduce menopause joint pain. Journaling, meditating, or doing yoga help with lessening your stress so you can focus on the important things, like your health.
5. Alternating Between Hot and Cold Therapy
Using hot and cold therapy is an efficient way to help minimize menopause joint pain. Heat can loosen tight muscles and joints, relax muscle spasms, and increase healing. Using ice for therapy can help reduce inflammation and swelling, numb the pain, and restrict blood flow.
Another way to apply heat therapy is by investing in a zero gravity chair with the heating effect. You can also use the massage option to loosen the joints and reduce the symptoms of menopause joint pain. Once you apply the heat, try taking an ice bath to really take advantage of the benefits of hot and cold therapy.
6. Consider using hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, can help reduce the effects of menopausal joint pain. HRT is a medication that adds female hormones to make up for the ones that are no longer there due to menopause. Some benefits of hormone replacement therapy include improving menopause joint pain, reducing inflammation, and providing bone density support.
Finding Relief For Menopause Joint Pain
Although menopause joint pain is fairly common among women, it can also be easily treated with the correct self-care. There are also many different options for how to treat menopause joint pain, so you can easily cater to your physical, medical, and financial needs. Whether you decide to invest in a zero gravity chair or cut back on carbs, any step taken means progress.
Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.
Additional Sources:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20537472/
