Can Menopause Cause Osteoarthritis?

… Continued …

There is also theory that estrogen may help protect the cartilage in the joint from inflammation. And in menopause, the production of this hormone is much lower than in reproductive age.

An interesting fact, the number of osteoarthritis (OA) in women increases drastically after the age of 45.

And on the other hand, OA is more common in men before the age of 45. But overall, it affects more women than men – according to CDC.

As mentioned before, menopause usually occurs at the age of about 50s. It has become increasingly clear that menopause may have greater role than what we think. However again, the clearly answer is continuously observing.

Unlike osteoarthritis, menopause usually doesn’t require treatment. But sometime the symptoms of menopause can be very bothersome or even may interfere with daily routines – for this case, you may need to see a doctor for more advice.

In general, the following lifestyle measures are usually helpful to cope with both conditions:

1. Keep on a well-healthy balanced diet. No matter what kind of health condition you have, it’s always important to keep your diet healthy and balance. Diet can be so helpful to control your weight, and having ideal weight is important to cope with osteoarthritis!
2. Control and manage your stress as well! In fact, uncontrolled stress can worsen many health conditions and their symptoms. Consider taking some relaxation techniques if necessary!
3. Make sure to always get enough rest every day! Having good sleep is so essential to help manage your stress.
4. If hot flash strikes, you may need to find a way to cope with it first before going to bed – ask your doctor if necessary if this symptom bother you a lot! If you experience a joint pain, rest the affected joint for at least 12-24 hors – find other activities that will not push you to use your joint repetitively!
5. Having osteoarthritis doesn’t mean you can forget exercise. Instead, some studies confirmed that appropriate exercise can help treat osteoarthritis. It can help boost your endurance and improve the strength of muscles in the joint. However, there may be some adjustments you need to know before starting your exercise. For instance, it’s commonly suggested to choose exercise with low impact on the joint. See this article for other advice!
6. Exercise is also so essential for women with menopause. Generally, it can help reduce the risk of other health problems associated with aging.
7. Avoid bad habits or activities that can worsen the symptoms. These include abusing alcohol, too much consumption of caffeine (this can make you difficult to fall asleep), and chewing tobacco (smoking).