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Welcome - (We Think) - To Perimenopause AKA "WHAT THE ACTUAL?"

SO GLAD YOU COULD JOIN THE REVOLUTION

A quick tutorial:

Menopause: the date on which a woman has not menstruated for one year. Menopause is literally one day in our lives. 


Post-menopause – what comes after. Accompanied by a drop in both estrogen and progesterone. Generally feels better than peri-menopause. Women still often benefit from long term hormone assistance with guidance from a clever clinician. 


Peri-menopause – the time before, initial increase in estrogen and drop in progesterone, with varying levels of both. Can be helpful to get assistance from a clever clinician to smooth out the ups and downs of this “second puberty”. 


Estrogen: a sex hormone that helps with bone health, cardiovascular health and muscle maintenance.


Progesterone: “Progesterone is the hormone women make after ovulation and is important not just for fertility but also to help to prevent osteoporosis, stroke, dementia, heart disease, and breast cancer. Regular ovulatory cycles are beneficial for general health.” From Lara Briden

How is this related to physiotherapy?

 

As a physiotherapist I can’t always distinguish between discomfort caused by the impacts of hormonal changes and overload type symptoms, and when menopause is overlaid on a traumatic injury/accident, we can both be left sitting there wondering why the symptoms are so slow to resolve and why healing and strengthening is taking so long. Tendon issues take longer to heal. The vague pains that we have can cloud the diagnosis. It's so helpful to change these, for life and for rehab.


Many of my clients, with a holistic approach, including hormonal treatment, ideal exercise, fuel, hydration, lifestyle management, sleep and hormonal therapy where appropriate, have found that their symptoms, that have been with them for some time, start to dissipate, and the aches and pains suddenly respond better to the rehabilitation that they have been doing


All in all – it’s important to consider that hormonal changes could be a part of your symptoms.


A Reset and Reboot: - Paradigm Shift


The other thing to remember is that while society starts to think of us as no longer useful (there’s a lot to unpack there) it’s also possible to look at perimenopause as a positive. 


For many, it’s the point where we no longer have to conform and are not constrained by what is expected of us as younger people. We can step into our strengths, become leaders, be unapologetic about what needs to be done and set boundaries and focus on exactly what we need, so we can continue to provide what is needed for others (or not, if that no longer works for us).


We could look at the increased aches and pains as negative, or we could reframe it as the body communicating with us, and us having the time and space to pay attention and to give it what it is asking for.


While I can’t diagnose or prescribe, there are some things I can help with, including assisting with realising you may have symptoms (see the list in the PDF) and then some small knowledge around diet, hydration, exercise and rest/recovery, appropriate exercises for rehab as well as other skills.


I also highly recommend that if you haven’t seen anyone who has been able to help, that you get help from one of the below providers who I know have excellent skills in womens’ health. 


Sometimes, you may need help from more than one person. That's ok.


Below (in the pdf) are some signs and symptoms off perimenopause - they can start at 30 and can last for 10-15 years - so don’t think “I’m too young”. Some clients I've seen have had it start at 20. It's a lot.



Don't Be Gaslit (By Yourself or Your Provider):

It’s easy to write your symptoms off when they start gradually - but I’ve seen in clients a change in their overall wellbeing and their injury symptoms by starting to manage their perimenopause symptoms.


Let me be really clear, it can change your rehab, your life, your mental health, relationships and your pain by getting it sorted.


I cannot provide medical advice or prescribe, but suggest you fill out the checklist (pdf above, printable) and take it to your medical provider to get some help that is suitable for you.


Social Media:

I suggest you follow some of the accounts below to get some more knowledge about perimenopause and how to manage it - on Instagram (or find them on Facebook)

I am able to help you with advice on exercise, breath work, strength work, aerobic fitness and sleep to see if those things can help you.



 

Resources:

Doctors:

 

Other help:

Lara Briden (Naturopathic Doctor) https://www.larabriden.com (Lara also has some amazing books)

Amanda Roe https://roe.com

Kate Ivey Fitness: https://www.kateiveyfitness.com/ has a menopause fitness programme you may enjoy (and a 7 day free trial).

 

Other Info:

Wright, V. J., Schwartzman, J. D., Itinoche, R., & Wittstein, J. (2024). The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric, 27(5), 466–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2024.23803



Dam, T. V., Dalgaard, L. B., Ringgaard, S., Johansen, F. T., Bengtsen, M. B., Mose, M., Lauritsen, K. M., Ørtenblad, N., Gravholt, C. H., & Hansen, M. (2021). Transdermal estrogen therapy improves gains in skeletal muscle mass after 12 weeks of resistance training in early postmenopausal women. Frontiers in Physiology, 11, Article 596130. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.596130





 
 
 

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