Joint pain and stiffness

[Europilgrim]

I run twice a week and do 15 minutes gentle yoga every day although I can never touch my toes until about 10 minutes in. I thought I would become more flexible but I seem to be getting stiffer and stiffer! And all my joints hurt. What am I doing wrong? My dr says it's just normal ageing - really?! I am late forties. Thanks!

Try massage. Either a person or a hand held massager (cordless are best).

Good quality fish or flax oil

I started taking turmeric (in capsule form) and I swear everything is aching less! It only hit me a few weeks ago that that's what it could well be, nothing else has changed.

Thanks everyone!

It’s decline in oestrogen in your body I think. HRT helped me, but I do think some people are just ‘stiffer’ than others. Swimming helps me too along with yoga stretching.

Where do you have stiffness? Is it worse first thing in the morning? If so how long does it last?

It's mainly first thing in the morning but anytime when I have been still for a while I find it difficult to get going again. In the morning it lasts maybe twenty minutes depending on how much movement I manage to do to limber up! At the moment (pm) I am more or less ok but still can't turn my head fully to the right. Mainly it's my feet and hands/fingers but all my joints are stiff to some extent.

Have you been investigated for arthritis or similar condition?

I'm not sure tbh. My dr said that my blood tests showed no signs of inflammation. Would that be for arthritis?

Yes, probably. Though I believe that it can sometimes be present without the inflammatory markers showing up in blood tests. I had an isotope bone scan years ago and was told there were signs of early inflammatory arthritis, or something, in various bits of me. It does sound like you have a lot (excessive amount??) of stiffness, and if your joints are actively hurting, that's not fun, and it's going to get you down, if it continues long term.

Your doctor isn't right! Well, yes, we do tend to ache more as we age, but it shouldn't be constant and if it is, it needs to be investigated. You.'e had blood tests, were these done specifically because of your stiffness?

And are you taking anything at the moment to try and help with the stiffness?

I think the blood tests were originally done because so much of my hair was falling out and I felt very run down but it's hard to remember as it's been going on for so long and I've got used to feeling a bit crap! I'm taking cod liver oil and iron.

see a physio therapistz

Apparently, these can be menopause symptoms, more stiff, losing hair, etc.

I'm really still & sore this year.

I’d say peri too.

It could very well be peri menopause - especially with the hair loss. Regarding the hair loss - were you told what your iron levels were? Low iron can cause hair loss. With peri comes a whole raft of new issues that we never considered when younger! With regard to the joint problems, I believe HRT can help some women (though not me as had to stop it as it caused my hair to fall out even more....)

Oh no! I was hoping HRT might be good for hair loss. That's unlucky! My iron was normal but my ferritin has been between 11 and 16 for the last few years. Maybe it is peri.

I lost hair and took iron but it never grew back. That was when I was about 43.

Don't be put off HRT! I think more women are helped , hair wise, by HRT than otherwise. My hair just reacts badly to hormones - am currently waiting for an appointment to talk about any possible type I can go on that won't cause this problem. Please, don't be put off! My body just likes to be difficult

If your serum ferritin is that low then that COULD be a possibility for the hair loss. If it's a similar range to here, then that's way too low to maintain good hair growth. Did they give you a reference range? Here it's 11-314 and I was at 11 and they said that was 'normal'. Which theoretically, it was, but it needs to be at least 75 for hair growth to be ok, preferable above 100.

Yes my ferritin was always considered low but normal despite the fact that it seems it is too low for hair growth. With normal iron levels though this was not considered important. It is the pain and stiffness that is bothering me most though.

You might find that it goes/reduces if you take some ferrous Fumarate.
I was surprised at how much better I felt when I took it, things that I thought were getting older suddenly got better !
Also think about why your ferritin is low. Do you have heavy periods ?

Glucosamine is supposed to be good for joints. It's often paired together with chondroitin. My partner took it and said he found a difference.

I really don't know why my ferritin is low as I don't have particularly heavy periods. I'll look into the glucosamine, thanks!

I am grappling with similar stiffness snd a bit of hair loss, but what I have learned so far

• Peri/Meno can cause stiffness and hair loss

-HRT generally helps both, but sime HRt is better for hair loss than others, check

• do not accept your GP saying it’s normal to feel as stiff as you describe in your late 40s, it is not. Switch GPS if necs
• if you need to dig deeper, try Louise menopause service and use what you learn there to get a specialist referral from GP