Tim Lanier  

Sonya came into the clinic stating that she felt like her body was just falling apart.  Over the last 4-6 months, she had experienced an increase in aches and pains in her joints and could not understand why.  Sonya had just celebrated her 51st birthday 2 weeks prior to her visit and she was thoroughly convinced that whoever said that 50 was the new 40 needed to be “thrown under the jail” for that lie.  Sonya joked about her seemingly debilitated condition but was very concerned and serious about why she was ‘falling apart.’  Her lower back and both hips kept her in agony.  She was gaining weight rapidly because she couldn’t exercise with all of her pain and discomfort.  Sonya was sent to complete a comprehensive round of lab work with orders that included testing for rheumatoid factor (indicator of rheumatoid arthritis) and other inflammatory markers to make sure that she hadn’t developed rheumatoid arthritis.  When those tests results came back negative, there was little doubt in my mind what Sonya’s issue was.  You see, around 51 (some women it happens earlier, some later) women go through pre, peri, menopause, and post menopause and each stage has characteristics.  During menopause, estrogen levels drop considerably.  While this major shift in hormones causes mood swings, anxiety, irritability, night sweats, hot flashes, decreased sexual desire, vaginal dryness, and many other unwanted symptoms, one huge change is in bone density.  It is estimated that women lose up to 10% of their bone mass in the first 5 years after menopause resulting in osteopenia and osteoporosis.  Approximately 40% of all postmenopausal women will eventually experience fractures.  For this reason, I sent Sonya to have a bone density scan (DEXA) completed which revealed that Sonya had developed osteopenia as a result of her decreased estrogen level during menopause.  Lab work also revealed that Sonya had a low Vitamin D level also.  We created a treatment plan that gave Sonya relief by stopping, and in some cases, reversing the bone changes that kept her joints aching and made her feel like her body was falling apart. 

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Take Away

1.  It is very common for women to experience unexplained joint and bone pain during the stages of menopause due to hormonal changes and decreasing levels of estrogen.

2. It is very important for women who are experiencing s/s of menopause to make sure that they’re Vitamin D level is within normal range to help prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis.

3. It is HIGHLY recommended that women also have periodic bone density scans completed during and after menopause to always know the condition of their bones so that an appropriate plan of care can be implemented that will prevent fractures, further bone loss, and joint aches and pain.

4. Frequent and consistent exercising is one of the best remedies to preventing, stopping, and reversing bone loss for these women.