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[Emerald]

A week before my recent 49th birthday I had the first of what are now quite regular, hot flushes. This was an ‘ah ha’ moment which made me question some health challenges I am having.


Background.  I had an hysterectomy at 34 but retained my ovaries.  The consultant told me I would go through the mesopause within 5 years of the surgery. 

I saw the nurse a few days ago and had some bloods taken to test for menopause.  Also seeing the Dr in a few weeks; nurse thinks HRT might be a solution to my hip pain.

I have Coeliac Disease and oestopenia.

For the last c3years I have been having terrible hip and knee pain.  Aching but also ‘locking’ of these joints which is excruciatingly painful.

Exercise (running) makes the pain worst for a while, but when I sustain the exercise, the pain is barely present; but when I stop exercise for a few weeks, the pain increases again.   

I have had MRI and the Rheumatologist consultant initially diagnose Hip Bursitis (caused by running).  But the symptoms I have are not consistent with this diagnosis. The consultant agrees and is referring me to an osteopath consultant (which a years wait for an appointment).

Treatment for oestopenia is impact exercise, hence I was running.  But the hip and knee pain is initially aggravated further by exercise.  I feel stuck what to do.  Weight gain is getting me down.

My question is around exercise.  Does the locking and aching sound like menopause symptoms? Can I safely return to exercise?

Apologies for the long post, but felt needed to give all information.  I’m ashamed to say, I know very little about the menopause, so I am on a step learning curve.

Thank you in advance 

[joziel]

I think, if you have osteopenia, it would be really important to be on HRT because it's a treatment for that and can help prevent it developing into osteoporosis. Are you on HRT?

I think if exercise makes you feel better, it is a great idea. And weight-bearing exercise like running is also great for your bones. I've seen several physios and they were always encouraging me to exercise even when I had some pain.

By the way, I don't know if you know, but for the vast majority of musculo-skeletal things, there is no correlation between what is found on imaging and pain. People who are symptom-free can be imaged in research and found to have all manner of age-related things going on, on imaging - yet they have no symptoms.

You might want to check out an app called 'Curable'. You can download it on your phone from the app store and it's very good for dealing with chronic pain and showing you a new way of looking at it. Whilst you can subscribe to unlock the full range of stuff, there is also loads you can access for free from it.

[Emerald]

Really helpful.  Thank you.   

[jaypo]

Hi there, I too used to run,loved it but too many injuries,surgery on my foot,bad spine(disc herniations) knees cracking,the orthopaedic surgeon I saw said to stop with the pounding exercise and suggested a cross trainer,said it was the next best thing to running,bit boring compared to running outdoors but it keeps the weight off.Some people can keep running into old age but if your body is trying to tell you something,listen to it.
Joints can definitely be affected by menopause

[CLKD]

Running is bad overall.  Because we stand upright therefore impacting from the brain downwards.  As the elasticity reduces then bones rub together = pains. 

As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  Do U find that pain relief helps?   I have been diagnosed with bursitis, I have sciatica down the same leg so difficult to define which is which. 'nurofen' gets rid.

Brisk walking will help keep osteoporosis at bay: have you looked a the UK Osteoporosis web-site?  Eating well i.e. lots of dairy/calcium laden food stuffs, plenty of protein will also help. 

Locking may be exacerbated in menopause, however, it happens to many sports people .  Is it true 'locking', in that you need it released professionally?  An MRI scan would be beneficial to see exactly what is happening to the bone area.  I would expect this to be treated on a separate basis.



Was there ;cake; for your birthday ......... 🎂 🎉 ?

[joziel]

Running isn't necessarily bad if it doesn't cause you any pain. Weight-bearing exercise which causes small 'shocks' and impact has actually been found to be good for bone health and preventing osteoporosis. Recommended types of exercise for that include tennis/racket sports and running....

Of course if you do any exercise and it consistently causes you pain, you probably should stop doing it. But the OP has said that they actually feel less pain after running...

[jaypo]

I loved running joziel and yes it made me feel great health wise but the last injury I had was so excruciating I just knew I had to stop,got quite depressed over it all tbh but like everything in life, we compromise, so like clkd says ... a brisk walk is great exercise but even that can cause pain in my foot 

[Emerald]

Hi all, thank you for thoughts and ideas.  I love the idea of a cross trainer.  Great idea

[AKatieD]

Mine is knee arthritis, proved by MRI. Only thing orthopaedic surgeon offered was knee replacement in a couple of years (3 yrs ago now). Had to stop running as flares so bad.

Found out about HRT a year ago. No pain within 3 months of starting Oestrogel. Restarted running (modern research shows good for joints) and although take it easy with plenty rest, planning to run for the long term, fingers crossed!

[ATB]

Hi.
I have had hip issues a long time, which I found out much later was from a misaligned hip I was born with. I had years of physio which helped and I ran distance as well, with support from all the physios I saw over the years, my main one was a physio to Olympians and a distance runner himself. Running is not bad for us. It can be bad for some people, and it can be injury causing if you have poor form. But ‘joziel’ is absolutely correct that weight bearing, high intensity ‘jolting’ exercise is really good for our bones. There’s lots of solid scientific evidence of this. Some cultures run daily well into their senior years. If you are overweight, have poor form or certain conditions then it isn’t the best form, but otherwise it is an excellent form of exercise. I know I feel better with my hip now if I’m exercising regularly, including cardio/HIIT exercise. I’ve got covid and can’t exercise since last Thursday and it’s hurting already.
I’m sure you’ve eliminated the possibility that it’s a tight ITB muscle causing it, that’s a very common cause so just in case I thought I’d mention. Poor or inadequate stretching after a run can create this problem as can over training or doing too much too soon. All stuff I’m sure you know. It’s important to do exercise, so I guess it’s a matter of doing exercise that is good for you and doesn’t cause long term pain. A physio may help you decide if running is ok for now and give you some exercises. With both knee and hip pain, it’s highly possible that you have tight ITB muscles and they need some deep tissue work- very effective although painful! Weight training can help strengthen things, and swimming is a good non-impact exercise to do maybe even alongside running. I wouldn’t rule out something you enjoy and is healthy unless you need to.
Think it’s a good idea to look into HRT.

[joziel]

Sorry to hear you have Covid ATB and hope you feel better soon 

[ATB]

Thanks Joziel  second time! Was pretty bad first 2 days now I’m just exhausted. 

[joziel]

Oh no! I've been lucky enough not to get it (yet). Probably because I'm a recluse 

[ATB]

Oh I’m sure you’ve had it you were probably just asymptomatic. I barely felt it first time, I was breathless a long time after though. I’ve been quite isolated for over 2 years, but I got this from child who works at a busy large place so inevitable probably. Never mind, that’s life!

[jaypo]

Hi all, thank you for thoughts and ideas.  I love the idea of a cross trainer.  Great idea

Mine is a Nordic track one,it's kinda like cycling,only standing up,certainly doesn't hurt my joints etc