Why do my joints hurt all of a sudden?
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Here’s how to age-proof your joints
By SALLY DUFFIN
Do you sound an involuntary “Ooof!” each time you move from the couch? Has midlife gifted you with achy hips and sore knees? You are not alone. According to research, around half of all women in menopause experience joint pains (also known as arthralgia). The reasons for this are complex but there are steps we can take to tackle the pain and age-proof our joints so we can keep on moving well into old age.
Why do my joints hurt all of a sudden?
For some women midlife joint pains appear out of the blue just like hot flashes and night sweats. Scientists think this is partly due to fluctuating hormone levels as estrogen and progesterone interact with joint cells, immune cells, and pain processing pathways.
Estrogen plays an anti-inflammatory role in joint health and stimulates the production of collagen, the connective tissue protein that acts like a spongy glue within joints.
Collagen levels naturally start to decline from mid-30s onward and this process speeds up during menopause. Our collagen levels fall by up to 30% in the first five years after menopause and continue to fall at two percent each year after that. Because of that collagen reduction, joints become prone to inflammation, pain, and stiffness.
Other factors are at play too. Peri/menopausal fatigue, poor sleep, low mood and depression, and co-existing inflammatory conditions can all contribute to joint pains and stiffness.
Is joint deterioration due to peri/menopause, fibromyalgia, or arthritis?
Putting midlife hormonal fluctuations aside for one moment, these joint pains may also be a sign of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or another musculoskeletal condition.
Some conditions that affect joint tissues, like rheumatoid arthritis, are more common in women and often first appear in middle age. For this reason, it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider in case further tests are needed.
What makes midlife aches and pains worse?
If you’re noticing frequent joint and muscle pains it’s worth keeping a symptom diary to see if you can spot any triggers or amplifiers. Things to look out for include:
· How much alcohol you drink: There’s very little evidence to directly link alcohol with joint pains but it is known to affect joint health in a roundabout way. Firstly, alcohol is a diuretic so it takes water out of your system. This leaves joint tissues dehydrated and more prone to inflammation. Then, alcohol detoxification pathways in your liver use up a lot of nutrients that are needed to protect and maintain joint tissues. Last, sustained excessive alcohol intake can lead to peripheral nerve damage, especially in your hands and feet, which can exacerbate joint pains.
· Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs): These are the sorts of foods that your grandparents couldn’t have even dreamed of. They’re highly palatable, contain a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, and have little to no nutritional value. Eating them once in a while is unlikely to cause a problem but if they become a regular fixture in your diet, they can contribute to inflammation.
· Sleep patterns: Alongside brain fog, poor concentration, and zero energy, lack of sleep also increases pain sensitivity. Researchers have shown that poor sleep causes low levels of a specific neurotransmitter in an area of the brain that regulates the pain experience, leading to heightened sensitivity to pain.
· Weight gain: Carrying excess weight can make joint pains worse but equally, having joint pains can make it harder to exercise. It’s a catch-22 situation. If joint pains are impacting your ability to exercise, opt for low or no-impact activities like swimming, seated yoga, or Pilates.
· Dehydration: Your joints are cushioned and lubricated by synovial fluid and wherever lubrication is needed, water is essential. Think how dry and wizened an orange gets when it’s left in the fruit bowl for too long. This is what happens in your joint tissues when there isn’t enough water available. And dry joints mean more friction and inflammation.
When I went through a major accident, my close friend and carer put us both on an anti-inflammation diet of no gluten, no nightshades, no ultra-processed foods, no refined sugar, less alcohol, etc. and with each successive surgery--8 in all--my swelling and recovery times decreased. It was a marked difference of quality of life.