Strong Women, Strong Bones: A Mother’s Day Reminder Caring for Your Joints, Muscles, and Movement Through Every Stage of Menopause

The Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause: What Every Woman Should Know

Each year, 47 million women around the world transition into menopause—a natural but often challenging phase of life. While hot flashes and mood shifts are well-known symptoms, many women are surprised to experience aches, stiffness, joint pain, and reduced strength during this time.

These changes are now recognized as part of a broader condition called the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause—a term that sheds light on how menopause affects bones, muscles, tendons, and joints.

Why It Happens

As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, the tissues that rely on this hormone begin to function differently. Estrogen receptors exist in bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia—and without sufficient estrogen, these tissues may not repair or regenerate as efficiently.

Estrogen also plays a key anti-inflammatory role. Its absence, combined with natural age-related changes like muscle loss, reduced bone density, and increased systemic inflammation (often referred to as inflammaging), can lead to pain, weakness, and longer recovery times—even in active, healthy women.

A New Paradigm in Orthopedic Care for Women

At Orthohealing Center, we recognize that women’s orthopedic needs evolve with hormonal changes. And while hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may offer some benefits—particularly for maintaining bone density and muscle mass—its impact on tendon health is still being studied. For, over time, HRT can actually reduce the size of tendon diameter, creating a potential vulnerability in how the tendon interacts with muscle and bone.

Menopause may be a natural phase of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept pain, stiffness, or declining mobility as inevitable. By understanding the musculoskeletal impacts of hormonal change, you can take empowered steps to stay active, strong, and resilient!

Addressing the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause

The Orthohealing Center’s physicians combine proactive, safe, nonsurgical strategies that can make a real difference. Designed to keep you moving better, longer, and stronger, our minimally-invasive modalities target pain, inflammation, and loss of function. Using your body’s own healing “ingredients”, these treatments can stimulate the natural reparative processes, promote maintenance and balance at the cellular level, and create an environment conducive to overcoming chronic inflammation.

As physical therapy and strength-building protocols typically boost results, our customized treatment plans often incorporate individualized home physical therapy programs through an interactive, web-based platform. However, appropriate referrals can be made for patients in need of more in-person guidance. We’ve also introduced a new application to minimize hot flashes in perimenopause: stellate ganglion block (SGB). (Links to several related studies are provided for reference.)

With the Orthohealing Center’s multi-faceted approach to the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, it’s possible to efficiently and effectively reduce associated pain levels, optimize athletic performance, and get back to the activities you love—without the need for surgery or prescribed medications!

Visit Orthohealing Center Today!

If you’re navigating this transition and noticing changes in how your body moves or feels, we’re here to help with personalized care that respects your biology and your lifestyle. Book a consultation to receive an accurate diagnosis and learn how Orthohealing Center can support your musculoskeletal health and healing journey!

Sources

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6341375/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39077777/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2024.2380363#abstract
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38860933/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38688462/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29105043/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10715304/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4482558/
https://www.ccjm.org/content/89/3/147
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378512213002533