Are constant muscle and joint aches making your midlife years uncomfortable? Perhaps you’re committed to lifting weights and hitting the gym, only to feel like you’re constantly battling recurring injuries and persistent pain instead of building strength. You’re not alone.

Many women experience increased soreness, joint stiffness, and widespread muscle pain as they go through the hormonal changes of menopause. These aren’t just fleeting twinges; for some, it can be a daily battle with discomfort that truly impacts quality of life. It can also hold you back from maintaining and cultivating the active lifestyle you need to protect your bone, brain, and heart as you head into the second half of your life.

This article will help you recognize these menopause symptoms, explore why they happen, and discover practical ways to manage pain and improve your well-being.

Is Menopause The Cause of Your Pain?

If you’re in your middle years and experiencing new or worsening aches and pains, you might be wondering if menopause is the culprit. The answer is often yes.

While hot flashes and night sweats are commonly discussed, many women are surprised to learn that widespread muscle pain, joint pains, and general body aches are also very common menopausal symptoms. These discomforts, sometimes called “menopause aches,” can start slowly, change over time, and really affect your daily life and how you feel.

So, how can you tell if the pain you’re feeling might be linked to menopause? Here are some clues to look for:

New or different pain locations or sensations, especially frozen shoulder.
Pain onset or worsening coinciding with irregular periods or other menopause symptoms (night sweats, mood swings, brain fog)
Morning stiffness
Poor exercise recovery
Poor response to exercise (e.g., no visible changes in your body despite lifting weights)
Soreness or stiffness not due to injury or overexertion
Widespread or shifting pain
Simultaneous joint and muscle soreness, often with fatigue
Changing pain intensity or type, potentially becoming chronic

If several of these points sound like what you’re experiencing, the hormonal changes of menopause could indeed be a key factor. During the menopause transition, there’s a significant drop in your body’s estrogen levels. This hormone plays an important role in keeping your muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissues healthy and stable. When estrogen decreases, these areas can become more prone to soreness, stiffness, and pain.

“It’s harder to put on muscle and harder to repair muscle when estrogen and testosterone are depleted.”

—Dr. Polly Watson

While these signs strongly suggest a link to menopause, it’s always a good idea to discuss any new or persistent pain with your healthcare professional. They can help confirm the cause and rule out other potential issues.

Common Types of Menopause-Related Pain

Menopause-related pain isn’t a single experience; it can show up in different ways and affect across the body, including joints and muscles.

Here are some common types of pain women experience:

Joint pain (Menopausal Arthralgia): This is very common during menopause. You might feel joint stiffness, especially in the mornings, or an increase in arthritis pain. These joint pains are often linked to hormonal fluctuations.
Muscle pain: Menopause muscle pain can be quite severe, making daily tasks difficult. It can also affect your muscle mass and overall strength.
General body aches: These can range from mild discomfort to severe pain. Sometimes these menopause aches come with other menopause symptoms like feeling down (depression) or experiencing brain fog.

A specific concern for many midlife women is:

Chronic pain: This is long-lasting pain that doesn’t go away easily. For some, menopausal joint pain (arthralgia) can become a significant chronic pain issue, often requiring lifestyle changes and sometimes medical help to manage. Reduced muscle mass can also contribute to ongoing discomfort and increase the risk of falls.

Why Does Menopause Cause Body Aches and Pains?

A primary reason for menopause-related aches, including joint pain, muscle aches, and even bone pain, is the rapid decrease in estrogen levels. Estrogen is a key hormone that plays a vital role in the health of many body systems.

Here’s a closer look at the causes:

Hormonal changes: When estrogen and testosterone levels drop, it directly impacts your bones, muscles, and connective tissue (the “glue” that holds your body structure together). These hormonal fluctuations can lead to tendon pain, stiff joints, and increase the risk factors for conditions like osteoarthritis. Some women may also see an increase in symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Bone density loss: Lower estrogen contributes to a loss of bone density. This doesn’t just mean a higher risk for osteoporosis (a condition where bones become weak and brittle); it can also be a source of bone pain.
Impact of other menopause symptoms: The menopause transition can bring other challenging symptoms like night sweats, sleep problems, and mood changes (low mood or depression). These can worsen your perception of pain and impact your overall well-being, making aches and pains feel more intense.
Connective tissue health: Estrogen helps keep connective tissues like ligaments and tendons flexible and strong. With low estrogen, these tissues can lose some of their stretchiness, putting more stress on them and making movement harder.

Other related issues, like vaginal dryness, are also due to estrogen deficiency and contribute to discomfort during this life stage. Understanding these causes is important because it points towards potential solutions, including, for some, hormone replacement therapy.

How to Manage Body Aches Due to Menopause

While menopausal body aches and stiff joints can be disruptive, there are effective ways you can manage and reduce them. Strategies range from medical treatments to simple but powerful lifestyle adjustments.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): An Option for Menopausal Aches

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) works by replenishing some of the estrogen your body no longer produces after you’ve reached menopause. For many women, this can significantly alleviate menopausal symptoms, including musculoskeletal pain.

Here’s how HRT can help with muscle aches and pains:

Reduces inflammation, a key source of pain.
Eases muscle tension and soreness.
Supports tendon health.
May help slow down bone density loss, reducing bone pain.

Note: HRT is an effective option for many, but it’s not suitable for everyone. It’s essential to discuss the benefits and risks with a healthcare professional. They will consider your personal health history (including any risk of breast cancer), age, and the severity of your symptoms to determine if HRT is a safe and appropriate choice for you.

Lifestyle Changes for Menopausal Body Pain

Simple changes to your daily habits can significantly reduce joint stiffness and muscle pain, promoting overall vitality during the menopause transition and helping to improve pain.

Exercise regularly

Consistent, regular exercise helps your blood flow better, strengthens muscles that support vulnerable joints (reducing strain on painful joints), and helps maintain bone density.

Mobility workouts: Gentle exercises like swimming, walking, or yoga can keep joints flexible without too much pressure. Yoga, in particular, is excellent for improving flexibility and can promote relaxation.
Strength training: Exercises that build muscle (like lifting weights) are very important for maintaining muscle mass.

“If you’re new to strength training, I always recommend starting with bodyweight work,” advises Dr. Polly Watson.

“You can get a fantastic workout using simple yet effective exercises like planks, squats, lunges, and pushups, all of which you can do at home without any equipment. For those who are regular walkers, consider adding a weighted vest to your walks; you can then gradually increase the weight as you get stronger.”

—Dr. Polly Watson.

Once you’re comfortable with bodyweight exercises, begin to incorporate weights to continue building strength. Challenge your muscles by working them to fatigue; this is how they adapt and grow stronger and larger.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you can perform 20 reps of an exercise without significant effort, it’s time to increase the weight. Strive for about 3 sets of 12 repetitions per exercise, making sure those final repetitions feel tough. Building stronger muscles is so beneficial, as they provide stability to your joints and help protect your bones.

Nourish your body

Don’t forget to nourish your body to support these efforts. A well-rounded, balanced diet is crucial for managing the aches and pains common in menopause, promoting bone density, and assisting with healthy weight management.

Nutrient-rich foods:. High-quality protein is important for muscle repair. Aim for 1 g of protein a day per pound of ideal body weight. Eating leafy green vegetables and lean protein (like chicken or fish) helps you keep up your energy.
Avoid refined carbs and sugars, as blood sugar spikes promote inflammation and can cause more pain. Focus on fiber, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates
Healthy weight: Maintaining a healthy weight puts less stress on your joints, which can significantly reduce musculoskeletal pain.
Omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish and flaxseeds, have anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce inflammation and pain.
Curcumin supplements can also help lower inflammation.

Manage stress

Long-term stress can trigger inflammatory responses in your body, making aches and pains worse and potentially intensifying other symptoms.

Practice relaxation techniques: Activities like mindfulness (paying attention to the moment), meditation, and controlled breathing exercises can help your body release tension and might make you less sensitive to pain.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): As mentioned for chronic pain, CBT can be a useful tool for managing the stress related to pain and addressing related low mood or brain fog.
Good sleep habits: Making sure you get enough sleep is crucial. Poor sleep often makes pain feel worse and can impact your ability to reduce stress.

When to See a Doctor

If your pain is chronic, greatly affects your life, or if you have other coexisting symptoms like vaginal dryness or concerns about conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional. They can help:

Explore the underlying causes for your pain.
Develop more comprehensive treatment plans, which might include prescription medications or physical therapy.
Create a personalized plan tailored to your specific needs and symptoms.

Take Control of Your Health

Menopause and its associated body aches, including muscle pain and joint stiffness, don’t have to diminish your quality of life or lead to more pain.

By exploring options like hormone replacement therapy under medical guidance and embracing positive lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, a nutritious diet, and stress reduction techniques, you can effectively manage these common menopausal symptoms, reduce muscle pain, and feel better overall.

If you’re struggling with menopause and body aches or other symptoms, we’re here to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and explore personalized strategies to manage your health and well-being.

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