Osteoarthritis and menopause: what you need to know

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition where the cartilage in the joints gradually deteriorates, causing them to become painful and stiff. The underlying bone may also begin to change. The joints themselves are not affected, only the tissue around them that enables frictionless joint motion. 

When levels of oestrogen and progesterone start to decline around menopause it can affect your cartilage, the connective tissue in your joints. Oestrogen helps your body maintain cartilage and keeps mucous membranes moist. When the amount of oestrogen in the body decreases, the cartilage can become thinner and mucous membranes start to lose moisture. You may notice that your eyes, vagina or mouth feel drier. 

The drop in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone also affects your joints. The cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones in your joints deteriorates – it becomes thinner and less flexible. Eventually, if the cartilage wears down completely, bone will rub on bone. This friction causes pain, irritation, and inflammation. 

The role of sex hormones in the development of osteoarthritis has not yet been scientifically established beyond doubt. However, there does seem to be a connection between menopause and osteoarthritis. It has been shown that oestrogen is important for maintenance of the bones, joints and cartilage, and many women develop osteoarthritis or joint pain in their menopausal years. 

Other factors, or a combination of factors, may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis: obesity, sports that put stress on your joints, strenuous physical work, bone fractures, congenital joint defects, or heredity factors. 

Falling hormone levels can also trigger a variety of menopausal symptoms , such as hot flashes, sleep problems and mood swings. 

Joint pain is a common symptom of perimenopause and menopause. You may notice it in your hips, fingers or knees. This does not necessarily mean that you have osteoarthritis, but it can be a sign of an underlying problem. The typical symptoms of osteoarthritis include: 

• Joint pain (most frequently in the small joints of the hands, wrists, fingers and big toe, though other joints in the body, such as the knees, neck, lower back and hips may experience pain as well). The more pressure on the joints, the more pain you may have. 
• Joint stiffness, especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position 
• Reduced movement 
• Reduced flexibility 
• If the joints are red, swollen, painful or warm, this is a sign of inflammation. 

The presence of joint or muscle pain does not mean that you have osteoarthritis, but it may be an indication of a health issue. If the pain persists, you should seek help from a health professional to make the correct diagnosis. 

Worldwide, an estimated 595 million people have osteoarthritis. It is more common in women than men, which may be linked to hormones: low oestrogen levels around menopause. 

There appears to be an increase in osteoarthritis rates in women around the age of 50, when they stop having menstrual periods. The symptoms and progression of osteoarthritis can vary from person to person. Unfortunately, osteoarthritis generally gets worse over time. However, lifestyle and dietary changes can help reduce the symptoms.

Ever wondered what is causing the pain in your fingers and hands? Bouchard's nodes are a typical symptom of osteoarthritis of the hands. The disease affects postmenopausal women in particular and causes the middle joint of the finger to become painful and stiff. No reason to panic though: there are things you can do to ease the pain and improve your quality of life.

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured but, with the right interventions, it can be managed or even prevented. 

• Keep moving. Be physically active every day. Regular physical activity helps keep your body supple and strong, including your bones and joints. Keep moving, even if you feel uncomfortable or stiff. Low-impact, muscle-building activities, such as Pilates or yoga, cycling, swimming or water aerobics, are good for managing osteoarthritis.  
• Get up from your desk every hour. Most of us, in particular office workers, have a too-sedentary lifestyle. Did you know that an inactive lifestyle, with too much sitting and not enough exercise, is bad for you? Make sure you get up from your desk every hour (or even better, every 30 minutes), introduce walking meetings to your team, or get into the habit of taking walks over lunch. 
• Make healthy and varied food choices. Cartilage needs nutrients to stay healthy and strong. If a diet is lacking in nutrients, the cartilage is one of the first components of the body to deteriorate. So make sure your diet contains enough nutrients, or take a multivitamin and mineral complex to fill any nutritional gaps. 
• Omega 3 is super important, because fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Are you overweight? Try to lose some pounds. Being overweight puts extra pressure on your joints and increases joint pain. Maintaining a healthy weight is therefore very important for bone and joint health.  
• Hormone therapy can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis. Research shows that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help ease osteoarthritis and slow its progression by reducing inflammation.