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[J101]Joint Pain And Menopause

by Cathy Taylor, Cat

Some women experience joint and muscle pain, mouth discomfort, headaches and some even report heart palpitations. Interestingly, women who suffer tension headaches, abdominal, or facial pain found their symptoms lessened after menopause. Scientists today feel there may indeed be a link between estrogen, hormone levels including their fluctuations and this phenomenon

Menopause and Joint Pain: Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause occurs when a women stops ovulating and her period ceases. Most women reach menopause between 45 and 55 years, with an average age of about 50. However, about 1% reaches it before the age of 40, known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure.

The most apparent changes recorded are in connection with menstrual cycle changes, changes in the bleeding pattern, hot flashes, sweating and urinary problems, such as, incontinence or increased frequency of urination. Dry vagina, mood changes, muscular weakness, joint pains and weight changes are all symptoms of menopause and can cause a great deal of pain as well as general feelings of discomfort in different parts of the body.

Menopause and Irritability: The Risks

Menopause is a very important time in a woman's life and all women who live past 40 must withstand the worst of this condition. A woman's body goes through many changes that can affect her social life, her feelings about herself and her functioning at work. In the past, many misconceptions and myths surrounded menopause but this perception has changed. Now, menopause is accepted as a natural step in the process of aging.

Contrary to the old-fashioned view that life is all downhill after menopause, many women today realize that the years after menopause offer new discoveries and fresh challenges. Modern medical advances have resulted in a wide range of health care choices, especially for joint pain and bone deficiency problems.

These can enhance quality of life during menopause and the decades that follow. It is vital for women to know that menopause itself carries no serious health risks. However, the chance for heart disease and osteoporosis (thinning of the bone due to the inability of the body to produce bone tissue) rises after menopause. Understanding menopause and the range of treatment options can help women make better health decisions.

Menopause and Irritability: Causes and Symptoms

Research has shown that a quarter of women have no problems while going through menopause, while half of the number will have some problems and the remaining quarter of them will have considerable problems including joint pain.

These are usually associated with osteoporosis and arthritis, which results in weakening of the bones and the degeneration of the cartilage between the joints that can fracture easily following a fall.

Fluctuating estrogen levels and poor estrogen clearance, can affect how your joints feel. It stands to reason that some women would also have joint pains in response to the hormone fluctuations so common in perimenopause. It's important to have yourself checked by your primary care physician for either osteoporosis or arthritis.

Menopause and Irritability: Treatment

There are also medications and exercises you can get that will overcome the severest of joint pains related to menopause. Some of these treatments include the use of steroids so it is critical to make this kind of decision in conjunction with your own doctor.

It's also prudent to check for the possibility of side effects from using these drugs and get a second opinion before embarking on a long-term treatment.

You wouldn't be surprised to hear that once we get older the chance increases that our joints fall victim to illness and all sorts of pain. Experts around the world say that to fight joint diseases known as osteoarthritis, specific precautions need to be taken.

If you are in a certain phase and are really thinking about taking a closer look and diagnose your aching joints, it's fundamental to have a good understanding of the primary cause of your joint pain.

Before you start considering anything you first need to find out what caused the pain you are experiencing. Many people suffer from joint pain because they over trained. Another possibility is that you are suffering from a strain or injury or even a disease you had in the past like chickenpox. Having aching joints could also be a result from having an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, chandromalacia patellae, septic arthritis, and bursitis.

It's very important for you to really comprehend what the difference is between acute and chronic arthritis. This information is very important if you are looking for a diagnosis to your aching joints. The term “Acute” refers to joint pain conditions lasting shorter than eight weeks while the term “Chronic” means that the pain lasts for a much longer amount of time.

Do you know what inflammatory and noninflammatory joint pain is? If you don't, you are glad to be reading this page.

The major difference between the two is that patients with “Noninflammatory” disorders usually experience morning stiffness less than 15 minutes. If you have “Inflammatory” disorders you will also experience increasing stiffness after resting but in this case I'm talking about morning stiffness that last longer than 45 minutes. If you have this disorder you will also notice an increasing chance of swelling that can be very uncomfortable. How should one go about diagnosing?

Basically there are 4 options available to diagnose your aching joints. Well known and probably the most popular methods are embrocations, NSAID, analgesia and last but not least supplementation. Embrocations, NSAID's and analgesia are superb treatment methods, but if you decide to go down this road I strongly suggest that you consult a physician before making a decision on your own.

However it could also be that your aching joints are far less severe. In that case there are a few good over-the-counter supplements on the market you can go out and buy: You can buy RRS-Enduro Joint (Unisex), Glucosamine Chondroitin Combo (Jarrow Formulas) and Glucosamine 1500 w/ Chondroitin and MSN (Jarrow Formulas)

Don't make the mistake by thinking that joint pain is only experienced by people when they age. There are many athletes that suffer from this condition as well. Many basketball players, long distance runners, soccer players, sprinters and football players are also in danger of suffering from aching joints.

Don't think that because you are young that you won't develop aching joints. Joint pain can really strike at any age.

That's why you've got to be smart and need to start taking care of your joints today!

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of aching joints. Share your new understanding about aching joints with others. They'll thank you for it.

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About Author

Both Cathy Taylor & Kyle Greatbatch are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Cathy Taylor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Yoga Practice, Pregnancy Problems and Food And Drink. Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant and freelance writer and can be reached at . Cathy Taylor's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.

Kyle Greatbatch has sinced written about articles on various topics from How to Transfer Money, Home Management and Computers and The Internet. Kyle Greatbatch - . Kyle Greatbatch's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.