I have not kept a tally of all the bodies I’ve touched in my massage therapy career. I sometimes wish I had.

But, I’m often aware of trends in symptoms my clients report when we chat before they hop on the table.

Maybe it’s because I am a post-menopausal woman who has navigated unusual joint pain and muscle mass loss along with brain fog, mood swings, the appearance of visceral body fat, and sleep disruption, but my ears perk up when my 40-55+ year old female and nonbinary clients “all the sudden” have bilateral knee pain or frozen shoulder or wonky joint issues without any acute injury or change in daily routines.

For millennia, women have been told that their symptoms are “all in their heads” or “a normal part of the aging process so deal with it” and I’m just DONE with this narrative!

Fortunately, a growing number of medical professionals who give a crap about the half of the population that will go through menopause are starting to dive beneath the surface to explain WHY this transition is so challenging and, at times, physically painful.

Dr. Vonda Wright is an orthopedic surgeon on a passion crusade to research and treat what she and a research team have coined the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. In 2024, she and a team published an article describing the syndrome and linking it in large part to estrogen depletion that happens during perimenopause and through the menopause transition. It’s worth a read.

In case you’re unaware, estrogen is a key player in functions well beyond those of the reproductive system.

Estrogen helps maintain bone density and strength. It plays a role in cardiovascular health, impacting cholesterol levels and blood flow. Estrogen helps with brain and cognitive function, memory, and mood regulation. It also has an influence on the elasticity of skin, collagen production, and hair growth.

When estrogen begins declining during perimenopause, many women begin noticing changes in every system of their bodies! It’s maddening and at times debilitating.

Dr. Wright’s research has been eye-opening for me. I now have a better understanding of my own muscle loss and joint pain and I have profound insight as to why so many of my middle aged clients are also suffering.

For me, “the change” and all its cray-cray symptoms have been tamed with an assortment of body and lifestyle changes. Here’s a couple things I now prioritize to keep myself right as cooling rain on a sweltering day:

1. Menopause hormone therapy (MHT), aka hormone replacement therapy (HRT), has rebalanced my estrogen and progesterone levels so that I feel clearer headed, more rested, less moody, and more energetic. Starting MHT was life giving / life saving for me and I am profoundly grateful that it is an option for me. A menopause specialist can discuss hormonal and non-hormonal treatments for your unique needs and health history.
2. Lifting heavy weights 1-2 times per week has helped me rebuild lean muscle mass and is proven to help stimulate bone growth. My visits to the gym last 30-60 minutes and I focus on doing less reps with more weight. I also enjoy group strength classes that combine spurts of cardio with resistance training (dumbbells or bands) for variety. If you are new to strength training, I highly recommend you work with a personal trainer for guidance and to progress slowly in order to prevent injury or burnout.
3. Joyful movement practices that engage my senses and offer me contentment, not punishment. Menopause transition is hard enough and honestly, I’m done with the “no pain, no gain” mentality. I’d rather take a walk in the woods or paddle a lake for a hour than grind through exercises that make me miserable.
4. Psychotherapy has been an integral part of my wellbeing care during this time in life. Now that my kids are grown and I have fewer demands vying for my time, I am investing energy in navigating lifelong struggles and recent turns of events atop getting intentional about how I want to live as I age. Bonus of menopause: I give fewer fucks about a lot of stuff that used to bog me down!

These interventions have helped me feel better in my body and I now live with a lot less pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Maybe my insights will help you or a woman you love, too? 

Wishing you all comfort in your bodies, with an extra sprinkle of well wishes to my fellow travelers on the “WTF is this?” journey to the proverbial “other side of the fence,”

Jen