What is the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause? (and why should you care)
The authors of a recent article finally named and defined something that has been plaguing women for a very long time. By signaling that a set of symptoms so many people suffer from may be related to perimenopause or menopause, many more women have the chance to find relief from both musculoskeletal pain and the psychological effects of unsuccessful treatments.
The article brings together research and concludes: “musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause is a novel nomenclature to describe the common musculoskeletal symptoms related to loss of estrogen levels, including joint pain, inflammation, sarcopenia, osteoporosis and cartilage damage. In isolation, these terms do not adequately communicate to patients the role of decreasing estrogen or suggest how treatment with proper nutrition, resistance training, vitamin intake and/or MHT may have a substantial role in quality of life,..”
"More than 70% [of women] will experience musculoskeletal symptoms and 25% will be disabled by them through the transition from perimenopause to postmenopause." This represents an unbelievable number of people. For women in perimenopause and menopause, this is ground-breaking to hear. You are not alone, You are not It gives definition to a myriad of pain and other symptoms that they have been experiencing, often with little relief. Worse, we are often told that these are “normal symptoms of aging.”
One of the central findings of the study is the relationship between decreased estrogen levels and musculoskeletal health. Estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density, muscle mass, and joint function. As estrogen levels decline during menopause, women are at increased risk for conditions such as osteoporosis, muscle weakness, and joint pain. The findings from this study have important implications for women experiencing menopause. Women should be aware of the potential musculoskeletal changes during menopause and seek proactive measures to manage their health. This includes engaging in regular exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, and discussing any concerning symptoms with their healthcare provider. They should also discuss and consider hormone replacement options.
This study will be helpful to clinicians as well. Though most in traditional medicine have been trained to see the symptoms described above as “normal” for patients in their 40’s and 50’s, they can now begin to see that there are alternate reasons for the issues as well as additional solutions. Better yet, there are preventative measures. For clinicians in functional medicine, they have been seeing these symptoms all along as a part of their holistic treatment of menopausal women. Now, however, they have an additional tool for the explanation of symptoms and with an official nomenclature, may have more support in ongoing treatment.
Thank you to the authors: Vonda J. Wright; Jonathan D. Schwartzman; Rafael Itinoche; Jocelyn Wittstein. This is a great step forward for women and clinical practice in menopause.
Read the full study here: Full article: The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause (tandfonline.com)