Women are more likely to suffer from chronic pain than men, with the highest rates observed in midlife, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.
In addition to the other health conditions affected by estrogen, it has also been shown to affect pain sensitivity. This finding was the basis of a study of more than 200,000 records from the Veterans Health Administration that demonstrated a link between menopause symptoms and chronic pain.
Dealing with Menopause symptoms through lifestyle changes
You can deal with menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, weight gain and forgetfulness by making simple lifestyle changes.
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‘Midlife women with a higher menopause symptom burden may be most vulnerable for chronic pain.’
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Women are more likely than men to report common chronic pain conditions such as back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Women with these conditions additionally report greater pain severity and pain-related disability than their male counterparts. Although the causes of chronic pain risk are not well understood, it has been documented that the risk for common conditions that cause or exacerbate pain is highest in midlife women when estrogen levels are fluctuating, and women are entering perimenopause or postmenopause.
Common changes related to menopause and aging include weight gain and decreased physical activity, which can contribute to chronic pain morbidity, as can impaired sleep and negative mood, which are also known to affect symptom sensitivity and pain tolerance.
![Perimenopause]( "Perimenopause")
Perimenopause is a transition phase that lasts until menopause. The low estrogen levels during this phase cause irregular periods and early menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. This phase may last from a few months to years.
In this latest large-scale study of women veterans, researchers hypothesized that even after accounting for age and other known risk factors, menopause symptoms would be associated with increased odds of diagnosed chronic pain and chronic pain morbidity.
What the study showed was that women with a higher menopause symptom burden might be the most vulnerable for chronic pain. More specifically, women with menopause symptoms had nearly twice the chance of having chronic pain and multiple chronic pain diagnoses.
Study results appear in the article "Menopause symptoms and chronic pain in a national sample of midlife women veterans."
"Changing levels of hormones around menopause have complex interactions with pain modulation and pain sensitivity, which may be associated with vulnerability to either the development or exacerbation of pain conditions," says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director. "This study suggests that menopause symptom burden may also be related to chronic pain experience."
Source: Eurekalert
Perimenopause
Perimenopause is a transition phase that lasts until menopause. The low estrogen levels during this phase cause irregular periods and early menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. This phase may last from a few months to years.
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In this latest large-scale study of women veterans, researchers hypothesized that even after accounting for age and other known risk factors, menopause symptoms would be associated with increased odds of diagnosed chronic pain and chronic pain morbidity.
What the study showed was that women with a higher menopause symptom burden might be the most vulnerable for chronic pain. More specifically, women with menopause symptoms had nearly twice the chance of having chronic pain and multiple chronic pain diagnoses.
Study results appear in the article "Menopause symptoms and chronic pain in a national sample of midlife women veterans."
"Changing levels of hormones around menopause have complex interactions with pain modulation and pain sensitivity, which may be associated with vulnerability to either the development or exacerbation of pain conditions," says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director. "This study suggests that menopause symptom burden may also be related to chronic pain experience."
Source: Eurekalert
Diet for Menopause - Foods to Eat & Avoid
Menopause is a stage when hormone levels decline in middle aged women. Right food choices combined with regular exercise is the key to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
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 Menopause Weight GainMenopause and weight gain in menopause often go hand in hand. But with simple lifestyle changes, menopause weight gain can be easily managed. | Advertisement
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