Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause
Let’s talk about this painful condition that impacts women as estrogen gradually declines before and after menopause. What can you do about it now in your 20s and 30s and how you can still help symptoms in your 40s, 50s, and beyond!
Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, or MSM, is a condition marked by joint pain, loss of muscle mass, higher inflammation around joints, progressing osteoarthritis, and loss of bone density. These symptoms are largely attributed to the gradual decline in the hormone estrogen.
Estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining bone and muscle health, and its decrease can lead to weakened bones, muscle loss, and increased joint pain.
What can women do to help prevent and manage these symptoms?
Whether you are in your 20s or 60s, it’s important to be aware of the hormonal changes that occur with estrogen and what you can do to be proactive about your health!
If you are in your 20s and 30s, I would recommend starting with resistance training:
Resistance Training
Lifting (heavy) weights is an evidence based way to build muscle mass and decrease loss of bone density. This can be done with free weights, kettle bells, bar bells, or resistance bands. Strong and stable joints can help to minimize joint aches and pains that develop in our 50s and beyond. Additionally, we have research that suggests resistance training is protective against gynecologic cancers. Start small and increase the amount of weight you are lifting: think squats, lunges, rows to strengthen your back. You should ideally be doing some form of weights 2-3 times each week.
Already in menopause or postmenopausal? It’s not too late! Resistance training even later in life has been shown to slow bone loss, improve posture, reduce likelihood of imbalance (ie risk of having a fall), and support joint health.
While we’re talking about exercise, it’s important to understand that our metabolism can impact our hormonal health:
Interval Training
Improving metabolism can also help with MSM. Estrogen deficiency (as seen in women during menopause) can impact metabolism and lead to things like weight gain, metabolic diseases, and joint pain. So what to do? HIIT style workouts! This means bouts of higher heart rate followed by allowing your heart rate to slow. Don’t be intimidated if you’re not used to HIIT style workouts. Start with walking. You can walk at a normal pace followed by a very brisk pace for 1-2 minutes and then return to your normal speed.
We also know that what we are eating and drinking can impact our joints and muscle health:
Diet
A diet that includes calcium and vitamin D will help support bone health and in conjunction with the resistance training will help to minimize bone loss. Additionally, there is some evidence for increasing protein intake in women experiencing hormonal declines. Talk with your doctor about what specific amounts of these you need.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
There are so many options now for hormonal treatments that can treat symptoms associated with MSM. It’s important to note that most providers do NOT have specialized training in hormonal health and we recommend seeing someone who has done training specifically for menopausal care.
The Menopause Society has a list of providers in NC (and you can search wherever you live if you’re not in NC!) here: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Pelvic Floor Therapy
A pelvic floor therapist can give you a tailored treatment plan to find relief from these symptoms and address common sexual, bladder, and bowel changes that occur during menopause!
At Taylor PT & Wellness we are able to evaluate women for joint pain, bladder issues, and sexual dysfunction and start on a path to healing! If you or a loved one are experiencing hormonal changes, including MSM, please connect with us today!
Schedule your free screen and learn more about how we can help.
We offer
- Free Pelvic Floor Screens
- 1:1 visits
- Therapeutic Massage
- Trigger Point Dry Needling
By Dr. Katie Taylor