The Symptoms Women Blame on Aging Might Actually Be Estrogen Loss
Jane LaCroix
When your knee starts aching after a workout, or your shoulder suddenly feels stiff for no obvious reason, it’s easy to chalk it up to getting older. That’s the story a lot of women tell themselves, but according to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe, it’s probably something else.
As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, women can experience a dramatic increase in inflammation, joint pain, stiffness, muscle loss, and mobility issues. As Dr. Snibbe explains on a recent episode of SHE MD, “I have women come to my office, they say, ‘I have never had hip pain in my life. I went through perimenopause, I’m perimenopausal, and in three months, my hip’s bone on bone.’”
Many women assume these symptoms are simply part of aging and never investigate further. But protecting your mobility helps you preserve the strength and independence that allow you to keep doing the things you love for decades to come.
Perimenopause Muscle Loss: How Estrogen Loss Affects Joint Pain
Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from the conversation.
Estrogen does more than you think
Most women know estrogen affects things like mood, sleep, and hot flashes. According to Dr. Snibbe, estrogen helps keep inflammation in check, but it also plays a role in maintaining muscle mass and supporting healthy joints. When levels begin to decline during perimenopause, the effects can show up in ways that don’t immediately seem hormone-related.
Dr. Snibbe says many women tell him they’re exercising consistently but still feel weaker than they used to. “I see them struggling to keep muscle mass on,” he says. “They’re like, ‘I go to Pilates three days a week. I’m working out with a trainer, and I feel weaker and weaker.’”
As muscle mass decreases, joints absorb more stress, which can contribute to stiffness, discomfort, and a greater risk of injury. It’s one reason some women feel like their bodies suddenly stop responding the way they always have. The workouts haven’t changed, but the hormonal landscape has—and the body notices.
Your future mobility starts now
Mobility is something you build throughout your life. Dr. Snibbe’s recommendations aren’t particularly flashy, either. Resistance training, walking, and Pilates remain at the top of the list. He calls Pilates “the best” exercise for building core strength and stability and encourages women to spend more time strengthening the muscles that often get overlooked (think the glutes, hamstrings, and upper back).
The things that help you move well at 70 often start in your 40s and 50s. Strength and stability isn’t built overnight—it’s built through small choices repeated over time.
Don’t assume every ache is ‘just menopause’
Sure, perimenopause can bring stiffness and joint pain, but that doesn’t mean every symptom should automatically be filed under the menopause umbrella.
Dr. Aliabadi chimes in, sharing her own experience of dismissing persistent shoulder pain because it seemed to fit the description of frozen shoulder, a common condition during perimenopause. The pain continued, but like many busy women, she kept pushing it down her priority list. Eventually, imaging revealed something else entirely: a benign mass beneath her shoulder blade that required treatment.
But don’t panic every time something hurts. “Don’t ignore your pain,” Dr. Aliabadi says. “If you have pain that’s constant, that’s consistent, that doesn’t go away, go see your orthopedic surgeon.”
Women are often encouraged to power through discomfort. Sometimes that’s exactly why symptoms get overlooked in the first place. Getting older doesn’t mean you stop being curious about what’s happening in your body. If something feels off, it’s worth asking questions instead of assuming you already know the answer.
To hear the full conversation, listen to SHE MD wherever you get your podcasts.
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