MENOPAUSE

During the perimenopausal phase there are a number of common symptoms that occur which normally start in women’s mid-30s.

• Period becoming irregular 

• Hot flushes especially night sweats 

• Sleep changes

• Fatigue

• Irritability and mood swings

• Increased risk of depression and anxiety

• Bone loss and increased risk of osteoporosis and fragility fracture

• Increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease

• Poor gut health and constipation 

• Poor healing ability

These changes are due to fluctuations in hormone levels and can happen over a 5-10 year time-frame. There is no way of knowing or predicting the age at which this will occur. During this time oestrogen and progesterone levels start to decline. Oestrogen itself has over 400 functions within the body, hence why it can lead to affecting so many areas within the body and result in physical and psychological changes. 

This can all sound very overwhelming and sadly the rate of depression in women increases during this time. However, this is not something that you have to go through alone! Here at PEAK, we have a team of Women’s Health Physiotherapists that are wanting to help you through this time.

Although we cannot stop this process from occurring, there are a number of things that a Women’s Health Physiotherapist can help you with:

1. Helping manage any aches and pains you may have. Oestrogen is a hormone that helps with tissue recovery, because there is less of this in the body it can result in slower timeframes for healing. It is very common for women to experience low back pain as well as hip and shoulder pain during this time 

2. Strengthen your muscles and build bone density. This can help avoid developing conditions such as osteoporosis and avoiding hip and low back pain

3. Promote healthy bladder and bowel habits. During this time it is very common for women to experience constipation due to progesterone levels reducing. To help manage this your Women’s Health Physio can help with providing tips for good digestive health and toileting habits

4. Managing hot flushes. Exercise has been shown to help with temperature regulation through sweat and therefore can help reduce night sweats

5. Be a listening ear! This time in a women’s life can feel very overwhelming and a Women’s Health Physiotherapist has the knowledge to help guide and support you through this time  

If you are going through menopause and would like to discuss how one of our Women’s Health Physiotherapists can help you, book in to see our team of Coaches today!

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