Calming the Chaos: What Anxeity is?

The doctor is in

Stacy Henigsman

DO, MSCP

What can you do for menopause-related joint pain?

Joint pain is incredibly common during menopause, affecting more than half of people during this transition. The good news is that there are many effective ways to manage it.

Why does menopause cause joint pain?

The drop in estrogen levels during menopause appears to be the main culprit behind joint pain. Estrogen helps protect your joints, influences how your body processes pain, and affects inflammation. So when estrogen levels decline, you may experience stiffness, aching, and discomfort in your joints, particularly in your hands, knees, hips, and shoulders.

Lifestyle changes can help

Weight management: Reducing stress on weight-bearing joints like knees and hips can significantly decrease pain.
Sleep: Getting quality sleep is essential. Inadequate sleep can increase your perception of pain, creating a difficult cycle. If night sweats are disrupting your sleep and worsening your joint pain, addressing those symptoms may help both issues.
Anti-inflammatory foods: A plant-forward diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods may help reduce joint discomfort. Some people find relief by incorporating foods containing phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that can have mild estrogen-like effects. Sources include soy products, flaxseeds, and legumes.
Supplements: Certain supplements have shown promise in research studies. Resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and berries, has been studied in postmenopausal individuals and showed improvements in pain perception and overall wellbeing when taken as a supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E may also help reduce inflammation and joint discomfort.

Medical treatments

For people who also experience bothersome hot flashes or night sweats, menopausal hormone therapy may help with joint pain as well. Studies have shown that individuals taking hormone therapy may experience modest improvements in joint pain and stiffness compared to those not taking it. The effect appears to be most pronounced in those taking estrogen-only formulations.

However, hormone therapy is not specifically approved for treating joint pain alone. It is most appropriate for people under 60 or within 10 years of menopause onset who have moderate to severe menopausal symptoms and no contraindications to hormone use.

Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) can provide relief for acute discomfort. For persistent pain, a healthcare professional might recommend other medications.

What to watch out for

While joint pain is common during menopause, it is important to rule out other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, especially if your pain is severe, affects your daily activities, or is accompanied by significant swelling or skin discoloration.

The bottom line

Managing menopausal joint pain usually works best with a combination approach. Start with lifestyle changes like regular physical activity, balanced eating, and good sleep habits. With your doctor’s approval, consider adding supplements that have research support.

If you are also experiencing other menopausal symptoms, talk with your healthcare professional about whether hormone therapy might be appropriate for you. Remember that what works best varies from person to person, so you may need to try different strategies to find your ideal combination.

LEARN MORE

Do you have any other questions for our menopause experts? Let us know at menopause@healthline.com, and the answer may be featured in an upcoming edition!

More resources for you

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HEALTHY TIP

Magnesium Can Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms

Magnesium is an important mineral in your body, especially as you get older. It helps support healthy bones and hormone levels and may improve mood and sleep, among other benefits.

Older adults are at an increased risk of magnesium deficiency. So, if you’re going through menopause or approaching the expected age of menopause, it can be even more important to make sure you’re getting enough magnesium from foods (like broccoli, bananas, fish, or leafy greens) or a supplement. Browse through our medically-vetted picks for The Best Magnesium Supplements of 2026.

Magnesium can aid with muscle relaxation, which may promote better sleep.
Magnesium supplements may help with depression and related symptoms.
Magnesium supports heart health by controlling heart muscle contractions and nerve impulses, allowing for a healthy heartbeat.

FIND OUT MORE

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LET’S TALK

The weather is getting warmer. Does grounding have any mental health benefits?

Grounding, also called earthing, is a technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth. Not to be confused with grounding strategies for anxiety, this therapeutic practice draws on earthing science and grounding physics to explain how electrical charges from the earth could have positive effects on your body and mind.

More research is needed, but some studies have found that earthing can help with managing anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, pain, and sleep disorders. While ecotherapy doesn’t have as much evidence supporting its effects on mental health as other therapies, you may still experience improved mood and mental well-being after spending a couple of hours outdoors in nature each week.

If you want to try grounding, here are some of the most common ways to do it:

Walking barefoot: Walking without shoes or socks on grass, sand, or even mud allows the skin to touch the natural ground, which can provide grounding energy.
Lying on the ground: Instead of walking barefoot, you can also lie down, allowing your skin to come into direct contact with the ground. You could do this on the grass in your local park or at the beach.
Submersing yourself in water: Natural sea or river water can potentially ground the human body in the same way dry land is proposed to.
Using grounding equipment: When going outside to ground yourself isn’t an option, you can use products like grounding mats, socks, patches, or blankets.