Many women experience joint and muscle pain and stiffness around the time of menopause - that they hadn't experienced before. Because there are estrogen receptors all over the body, including the joints, declining hormone levels can add to pain caused by inflammation, general wear and tear, and just plain aging.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy May Have Anti-Inflammatory Effects. Also, estrogen has naturally anti-inflammatory effects. This can help reduce pain and swelling in your joints if you have arthritis.
Nuts and Seeds, including almonds, flaxseeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds. Soy and soy products, such as soybeans, tofu, miso soup, miso paste. Vegetables, particularly broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, onions, spinach, sprouts.
The primary female hormone, estrogen, protects joints and reduces inflammation, but when estrogen levels drop during menopause, inflammation can increase, the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can go up and the result can be painful joints.
Traditional natural hormone replacement therapies
phytoestrogens, which are dietary estrogens found in legumes, seeds, and whole grains. folate (vitamin B-9 or folic acid) St. John's wort.
Joint tissues contain estrogen receptors, where the hormone helps to protect biomechanical structure, function, and lubrication.
Conclusion. There is increasing and compelling evidence showing that estrogen decline during the menopausal transition drives a systemic inflammatory state.
Low vitamin D levels may lead to clinical manifestations, including bone pain, muscle weakness, falls, low bone mass, and fractures, with subsequent diagnoses of osteomalacia, osteoporosis, and myopathy.
One reason menopause impacts the joints is these changing hormone levels. There are estrogen receptors in your joints; estrogen protects bones and helps keep joint inflammation low. As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause (the first stage of menopause), the joints can swell and become painful.
And the continued low estrogen levels lead to more serious health concerns. The rate of bone loss speeds up, increasing your risk of low bone density, osteopenia and osteoporosis. You also have a higher chance of having a heart attack, stroke or other heart-related issues.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Some of the vitamins linked to better estrogen balance include vitamin D, the B complex, and vitamin C. Minerals such as calcium and boron may help protect against the effects of low estrogen, while some herbal supplements, including dong quai and black cohosh, are also known for their hormone-balancing effects.
Estrogen therapy (ET) replaces some or all of the estrogen that your ovaries would be making until menopause. Without estrogen, you are at risk for weak bones later in life, which can lead to osteoporosis.
Many women experience joint and muscle pain and stiffness around the time of menopause - that they hadn't experienced before. Because there are estrogen receptors all over the body, including the joints, declining hormone levels can add to pain caused by inflammation, general wear and tear, and just plain aging.
Oestrogen protects joints and reduces inflammation, but when estrogen levels drop, inflammation can increase, the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can go up and make it painful to move freely.
When estrogen is too high or too low you may get menstrual cycle changes, dry skin, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, night sweats, vaginal thinning and dryness, low sex drive, mood swings, weight gain, PMS, breast lumps, fatigue, depression and anxiety.
What causes low estrogen levels? The most common cause of low estrogen is age. It's natural for your estrogen levels to fall as you get older. Low levels unrelated to menopause may be a sign of a condition.
Alcohol like bourbon, wine, and beer contain phytoestrogens (estrogen-mimicking substances), which can raise your estrogen levels, worsening PCOS, endometriosis, and fibroid symptoms.