Joint pain during the menopause

Many women in their mid-40s suffer from knee pain. These are often early signs of the onset of osteoarthritis, which is linked to hormonal changes.

Many women are familiar with it: as you get older, your knees start to hurt and climbing stairs becomes difficult. You feel stiff when you stand up. One possible cause of joint pain (so-called arthralgia) is often overlooked: Our hormones, especially the female sex hormone oestrogen, play a crucial role in joint health. If oestrogen decreases during the peri- and postmenopause, this increases the development and progression of joint arthrosis. The protective cartilage in the joint slowly breaks down, becomes thinner and, over time, bone rubs against bone. This is painful and restricts mobility.

Knee joints are most affected

The knee joint bears a large part of our body weight and is challenged with every step we take. Even minor misalignments or overloading can lead to significant problems. Studies show that women are more likely to suffer from knock-knees or muscular imbalances - both risk factors for knee osteoarthritis.

Protective effect of oestrogen

Oestrogen is not only relevant for fertility and the menstrual cycle, but also for joint health. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, promote blood circulation and support cartilage metabolism. During the perimenopause - i.e. in the years before and around the last menstrual period - oestrogen levels begin to fluctuate and gradually decline. This hormonal change can make joint cartilage more sensitive and favour inflammatory processes. The consequences:

The cartilage becomes more susceptible to degradation processes.
Inflammation in the joint increases.
The synovial fluid (synovia) decreases and loses quality.

In addition, muscle mass often decreases during and after the perimenopause, which puts additional strain on the joints and changes the biomechanics. Finally, oestrogen also protects against osteoporosis (bone loss), i.e. it helps to maintain a healthy bone density.

Modern therapeutic approaches lead to improvement

There are many ways to treat the symptoms therapeutically. The earlier the degradation process of the knee cartilage caused by knee osteoarthritis can be combated, the longer osteoarthritis can be delayed and the better the symptoms can be alleviated.

Exercise instead of rest

Targeted training strengthens the muscles and relieves the joint. Sports that are easy on the joints, such as swimming, cycling or yoga, are ideal. Further measures can lead to an improvement:

Diet and weight
Every kilo less relieves the knee. An anti-inflammatory diet with lots of vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and little sugar is recommended.
Hormone therapy (HRT)
In selected cases, individually tailored hormone therapy can help to compensate for the oestrogen deficiency - especially if menopausal symptoms (e.g. hot flushes or sleep disorders) and osteoarthritis symptoms occur together. Oestrogen therapy can also be suitable for preventing osteoporosis. Medical advice from a gynaecologist is essential here.
Injection therapies
Modern injection treatments with hyaluronic acid or matrix preparations (e.g. Cellular Matrix) can improve joint function and alleviate pain. This is particularly recommended in the early stages or for women who are active in sport. In this way, the progression of osteoarthritis can be slowed down and the pain can be managed conservatively.
Surgical procedures
If all treatment options have been exhausted and the knee pain becomes unbearable, minimally invasive surgery or a joint replacement can be considered.

The most important facts in brief

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but it can be treated well.
The earlier action is taken, the better the progression can be influenced.
Hormonal changes during the menopause can promote joint problems - talk to your gynaecologist about this.
Modern conservative therapies can help to delay surgery for a long time or avoid it altogether.