Leg pain and
menopause can strike without warning. It can be a shooting, sharp pain that
wakes you up or disturbs your sleep. This pain may last for nearly 24 hours,
making the area sore.
Menopause occurs
when the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body decrease and
menstruation ceases for more than a year.
Menopause
symptoms include irregular periods and hot flashes, mood swings, irritability,
sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, and urinary tract issues.
Menopausal women
may also experience stomach pains and leg cramps, and some may experience more
sleeplessness than others.
Leg Pain And
Menopause: How They Occur
Women going
through menopause must also deal with other symptoms. There are some tips to
remember for avoiding and treating leg pains so that you can deal with this
issue. If you have leg pains and feel a sudden pain in your leg, it could be
due to a muscle or group of muscles suddenly tightening.
The majority of pains
occur in the calf muscles, but cramps in the thigh or foot are also possible.
Apart from menopause, other contributing factors to this type of pain include a
lack of physical activity, a mineral imbalance, and problems with blood
circulation.
Those of you who
experience leg pains only on occasion during menopause should consult with your
doctor about the medications you are taking, as leg cramps may be a side effect
of certain medications.
Read also: Chiropractor For Leg Pain
Pains in your
legs during menopause do not cause serious harm and are therefore not cause for
concern. They can, however, disrupt your sleep. Leg cramps usually occur for a
short period of time and then disappear.
Leg Pain And
Menopause: Treatments
Many women report
that massaging or stretching their legs relieves cramps. Consult your doctor,
have your bone density checked, and make sure you’re taking your calcium
supplements on a daily basis.
Leg cramps can
also be treated by taking calcium/magnesium supplements on a regular basis.
Other complementary therapies include soaking in a peppermint oil bath and
drinking a couple of glasses of tonic water. A tincture of St. John’s wort is
also said to be beneficial.
Insomnia
Leg
pains have also been linked to sleep disorders such as restless legs
syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder. Restless legs syndrome and
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder can disrupt sleep in menopausal women, leading
to additional issues such as insomnia.
Restless legs
syndrome usually occurs before sleep and causes calf discomfort and
restlessness in the legs, which can be relieved quickly by moving around.
Periodic limb
movement disorder, on the other hand, can cause excessive sleepiness, and both
conditions are more common in older women experiencing menopause.
The sensations
felt during restless legs syndrome are not painful, but rather uncomfortable
and akin to anxiety.
The subsequent
leg cramps and creepy crawly feeling are felt deep in the legs and often occur
while lying in bed and may cause stress if not treated promptly.
FAQ
Related To Leg Pain And Menopause
Can
menopause cause pain in your legs?
Many women have
asked me over the years whether achy legs, leg cramps, swollen ankles, restless
legs, or hot (and very cold) feet are symptoms of menopause. Yes, they can, and
there are four major reasons why these symptoms can occur.
Read also: 9 Best Fitness Home Exercises For Back Pain Relief
Can
hormonal imbalance cause leg pain?
Hormonal
imbalances can result in a wide range of complications, including mood swings,
anxiety, leg cramps, and more.
Does
menopause muscle pain go away?
Most women notice
that symptoms like joint pain begin to fade during menopause as hormone levels
even out and stabilize. However, this can also be affected by your overall
health, stress levels, diet, exercise, and so on. So, taking care of yourself
is critical at this time.
Can
menopause cause hip and leg pain?
Many women
experience joint and muscle pain and stiffness during menopause that they had
not previously experienced. Because estrogen receptors are found throughout the
body, including the joints, declining hormone levels can exacerbate pain caused
by inflammation, general wear, and tear, and simply aging.
What
relieves menopausal muscle pain?
These are some
examples: Paracetamol is a simple pain reliever. Ibugel is an anti-inflammatory
gel rub for joints. Ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medications.
How
do you know when menopause is over?
When you are in
postmenopause, your menstrual cycle has been absent for more than 12 months.
Your reproductive years have passed by, and you are no longer ovulating
(releasing eggs). Menopausal symptoms you’ve previously experienced may become
milder or disappear entirely.
What
are the 3 stages of menopause?
- Menopause
- Perimenopause
- Post-menopause
· Does
menopausal arthritis go away?
Some of these
symptoms are frequently self-limiting and resolve within 2-5 years, coinciding
with menopause symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy has been shown in trials
to alleviate these symptoms, indicating a clear link between arthritis and
estrogen deficiency.
Read also: 11 Amazing Flat Stomach Workouts
When
does menopause usually end?
Menstrual periods
may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent in
your 40s, until eventually — on average, by age 51 — your ovaries stop
producing eggs and you no longer have periods.
A
Word From GetMe Treated
Leg pain and
menopause could also be attributed to dehydration, peripheral vascular disease,
muscle fatigue, nerve dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, electrolyte and
mineral imbalances, lumbar canal stenosis, cirrhosis, venous insufficiency,
medications, etc.