How to Treat Menopause Joint Pain 

When your joints feel creaky and sore, you might blame aging, your workouts, or sitting too long hunched over your phone. For women over 40, there’s another factor to consider: hormone changes leading to menopause joint pain.

Just like hot flashes and night sweats, joint pain can be a symptom of menopause. In fact, research suggests that 50 percent of women experience menopause joint pain.¹ Here’s what to do about it.

About the Experts

Sharon Byun, M.D., is an OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner at Empower Health in Florida.

Jocelyn Wittstein, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon at Duke Health and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Duke University.

Julie Holland, M.D., is a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist in private practice in New York City. She is the author of Moody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs You’re Taking, The Sleep You’re Missing, the Sex You’re Not Having, and What’s Really Making You Crazy.

What Does Menopause Joint Pain Feel Like?

Menopause joint pain can present as pain, stiffness, achiness, tingling, burning, swelling, or clicking and grating sensations.^{2 3 4 5} It can affect just one joint or many joints all over the body.⁶ 

The primary cause of menopause joint pain is hormonal shifts, but you can also develop arthritis, which is inflammatory joint pain, or arthralgia, joint pain without inflammation.⁷ 

“What a person feels will depend on the location and the underlying cause of the joint pain, as well as an individual’s pain threshold and pain perception,” says Sharon Byun, M.D., an OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.

You can develop menopause joint pain in your:

• Neck
• Shoulders
• Jaw
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Fingers
• Knees
• Hips 

Why Hormonal Changes in Menopause Lead to Joint Pain

Menopause-related joint pain is primarily driven by declining estrogen, which normally protects cartilage, bone density, and reduces inflammation. When estrogen levels drop, joint degradation and inflammation can increase, leading to pain.

“We see a more rapid acceleration of the loss of the thickness of cartilage and more inflammation in joints,” says orthopedic surgeon Jocelyn Wittstein, M.D. 

Here’s how a lack of estrogen can make your joints ache:

• Inflammation: Estrogen acts as an anti-inflammatory, says Wittstein. It binds to receptors in cells lining joints, bones, and muscles and helps block inflammatory signals that can damage cartilage.^{8 9} New research suggests that estrogen also thwarts fibroblasts, cells that can stiffen tissue in shoulder joints. This might help explain why frozen shoulder, a condition that limits shoulder movement, is common in menopausal women.¹⁰
  
• Bone loss: As estrogen declines during menopause, the cells that break down bone (osteoclasts) live longer, leading to bone being reabsorbed faster than new bone can be created.^{11 12} This can weaken bones and strain the joints connected to them, leading to pain.¹³
  
• Weaker muscles: Estrogen supports muscle growth and repair, so when levels drop, it becomes harder to build muscle, leaving joints less supported and more prone to inflammation, says Wittstein.
  
• Altered pain perception: Estrogen also influences how you feel pain. “You may have had inflammation before, but didn’t notice it because estrogen was helping regulate your response,” says psychiatrist Julie Holland, M.D., noting that estrogen enhances oxytocin, a hormone involved in pain relief and healing.
  

Other potential causes of menopause joint pain

Joint pain during menopause can also be caused by injuries, underlying illnesses, or other conditions that emerge in midlife:¹⁴ 

• Osteoarthritis often shows up during the years in which women go through the menopause transition. 
• Fibromyalgia, which can cause burning pain and heightened pain sensitivity, often starts or worsens during menopause.^{15 16 17}
• Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that makes joints tender and swollen, can also appear or worsen.^{18 19}

The best way to distinguish menopause joint pain from other joint conditions is to see a doctor for testing, which might include imaging to rule out arthritis or blood tests to check for markers of autoimmune disease.²⁰ “A simple x-ray can diagnose arthritis,” Holland says, and an exam can point to bursitis, swelling of the protective sac around bones, for example.²¹

Does Menopause Joint Pain Go Away?

Menopause joint pain might go away as the body adjusts to hormone changes after menopause, but it depends on the underlying causes. If menopause joint pain persists, some common treatments include HRT for estrogen declines, weight loss to reduce strain on the joints, and avoiding smoking. Taking over-the-counter painkillers occasionally might also reduce irritating inflammation, but women should see a doctor if their pain and body aches are constant.

“The causes of joint pain are multifactorial, but not all hope is lost after menopause,” says Byun.

If x-rays or MRIs show no structural joint problems, then addressing the hormonal causes of pain might bring some relief, says Wittstein. Either way, you might not have to accept pain as a new constant in life: There are many treatments for menopause joint pain, from at-home care to lifestyle changes to medication.

Ways to Treat Menopause Joint Pain

Menopause joint pain can be treated with lifestyle changes and both over-the-counter and prescription medications. Doctors may recommend the following strategies to get relief:

Heat or ice

Applying ice or heat for about 20 minutes at a time can provide immediate, short-term relief for menopause joint pain. 

• Cold is better for acute joint pain, as it numbs the area, slows inflammation, and reduces swelling. Use ice packs over a towel or cold compression sleeves with built-in ice packs, says Byun. 
• Heat dilates blood vessels, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to flow to the painful joint, which speeds up healing and relief. Use a heating pad or take a warm bath. 

Over-the-counter medications

Acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen can ease menopause joint pain. But stick with the recommended dosages: NSAIDs can cause stomach issues, and taking too much can lead to kidney issues, high blood pressure, or other problems.²² 

“I personally like a topical, non-steroidal medication called diclofenac gel, just because it doesn’t affect the GI in the same way,” says Byun.

Low-impact exercise

Low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, and cycling can ease joint stiffness and protect cartilage by replenishing lubrication.²³ Aim for about 30 minutes of exercise a day, five days a week, says Byun.

Some common exercise options for menopause joint pain relief include: 

• Jumping exercises can help you build bone—try them in the pool to cushion your joints. Stronger muscles and bones might help smooth the menopause transition for your whole musculoskeletal system, which includes joints.
• Resistance training two to four times per week supports joints by strengthening your muscles and bones.
• Yoga incorporates stretching to encourage flexibility and reduce stiffness.
• Red light therapy/Red light sauna capitalizes on the photobiomodulation to improve inflammation.

One warning: Rucking with a weighted vest, while popular, might not be the best choice here. “Be careful because the added weight can definitely put stress on your joints, especially if you’re already dealing with joint pain,” says Byun.

If menopause joint pain is flaring up due to overuse or exercise, you may need to adjust your workout or rest. “It’s always important to balance activity with recovery and cross-training and also to be diligent about doing strength and mobility work,” says Byun.

Physical therapy

Physical therapists are the unsung heroes of menopause joint pain, says Byun. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to improve mobility and strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that stabilize your joints. The result? Less pain and inflammation, plus faster recovery from injury.²⁴

Diet and supplements

The Mediterranean Diet—heavy in fish, olive oil, fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds—can help reduce joint pain and inflammation.²⁵ “The best general strategy is consuming whole foods in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein,” says Byun. Cut back on fried foods, sugar, and ultra-processed foods, which contribute to inflammation that can affect joint health, she recommends.

Some supplements might also help relieve menopause joint pain: 

• Creatine. “Creatine monohydrate, five grams per day, definitely helps with maintaining muscle mass and then has a secondary effect on bone density,” says Wittstein.  This supplement helps tissues stay intact.²⁶
• Curcumin. This turmeric extract acts as an anti-inflammatory, says Wittstein. Research suggests it can reduce pain and stiffness while increasing function.²⁷
• Vitamin D. At a dose of 2,000 IU per day, this nutrient can help with joint pain, says Wittstein. 
• Collagen peptides. Research suggests that collagen peptides might improve joint pain, perhaps by curbing tissue breakdown.²⁸

If you want to take supplements for your menopause joint pain, talk with your doctor about it first, and pick products verified by third-party labs, such as USP, NSF, Informed Choice, or ConsumerLab.

Weight loss

Maintaining a healthy weight decreases the impact on your joints, especially those in your lower spine, hips, knees, ankles, and feet, says Byun. For overweight or obese people, weight loss can also help reduce systemic inflammation that aggravates joint pain.²⁹

In the last few years, GLP-1 receptor agonists have changed the conversation around weight loss medications. In one study, people (mostly women) with knee osteoarthritis who took the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide not only lost weight but also experienced a reduction in knee pain compared to those who took a placebo.³⁰ Talk to your doctor about the best weight loss plan for you.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

One landmark study in the journal Menopause found that women who took estrogen-based HRT for a year had less joint pain compared to the placebo group.³¹ However, the women who took estrogen had more joint swelling, so more research is needed.

There’s solid evidence, however, that HRT helps protect muscle and bone mass.³² While HRT isn’t a standalone treatment for menopause joint pain, it’s worth discussing with a doctor if other menopause symptoms, like hot flashes, night sweats, or low bone density, bother you.³³ “You can actually start hormone therapy prior to menopause as well, and that may impact who develops joint pain,” says Wittstein.

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About the author

Julie Stewart is a writer, editor, content strategist, and NASM-certified personal trainer. Her work has been published by leading consumer brands like Men’s Health, AARP The Magazine, EatingWell, Prevention, SELF, Everyday Health, Shape, WebMD, Medscape, and more.

About the reviewer

Natalie Kunsman, M.D., is a board certified physician specializing in functional, anti-aging, and regenerative medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Anti-Aging medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians.