About Menopause Numbness & Muscle Aches

The North American Menopause Society defines menopause as a woman's last menstrual cycle followed by 12 consecutive months without a period. Menopause can be hastened when a woman has her ovaries removed as with a hysterectomy. The event is natural but can cause a woman to experience discomfort, including sleeplessness, fatigue, sadness, numbness and muscle aches.

Background

• Although all women experience menopause, they do not all begin the process at the same time. Three types of hormones are produced by the female ovaries--oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Combined, these hormones cause a woman to menstruate. If a woman becomes pregnant while she is ovulating, her periods will stop temporarily. As a woman gets closer to menopause, her ovaries produce less of the three hormones. The process can take years to complete. For about 25 percent of women, the process is hardly noticeable and creates no symptoms of discomfort. Half of women experience mild to moderate symptoms related to menopause, while another 25 percent of women are challenged by severe symptoms.

Peri-Menopause

• Peri-menopause is the transitional period between a woman continuing to have a period and permanently stopping her menstrual cycles. Lower productions of oestrogen might cause a woman to feel stiffness in her joints, including her hands, shoulders, lower back, knees and hips.

Estrogen

• Body muscles are supplied with the hormone estrogen. As the productions of estrogen decrease throughout the peri-menopausal and menopause stages, a woman might experience muscles aches and numbness, particularly at the start of menopause. Other factors that contribute to the discomfort are decrease in overall muscle tone.

Acroarethesias and Menopause

• Acroarethesias is a rare neurological disorder that both men and women can get. However, older women going through menopause typically are challenged with the disorder most. Symptoms of the nerve disorder are sharp tingling in the fingers and hands. The tingling is so uncomfortable that it can cause a woman to experience sleeplessness or insomnia. It is important to treat this disorder as soon as possible as, left untreated, the condition could increase nerve damage.

Exercise and Diet

• Regular exercise outdoors in the sun and a healthy diet low in fats can help a woman increase muscle tone, which can diminish or eliminate muscle aches and numbness. Exercise and a healthy diet will also help a woman maintain a healthy body weight and keep a high self-esteem as she goes though the life change. Eating high-fiber foods that have plenty of phytoestrogens and calcium like soy and dairy products can help strengthen a woman's bone mass, which can decrease or eliminate muscle and joint aches.

Considerations

• If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms, you should consult your physician to confirm that you are at the peri-menopausal stage of your life. Natural herbs like black cohosh and primrose oil have been noted to provide relief from symptoms. Acupuncture has also been reported to help some women diminish or eliminate muscle aches and numbness associated with menopause.