Aching joints- will they stop hurting if I lose weight?

[AlertCat]

I do need to. I’m reducing calories and time restricting my food, and I’m making a conscious effort to increase my activity levels as much as possible. So that’s in my immediate future.

But what I’m struggling with now is really sore hips and lower back. Now this has come on quite recently- my back has played up from time to time since I herniated a disc a couple of years ago, although that resolved well by itself- but it’s currently not feeling better even with yoga (normally helps it) and my hips-! I’ve never had sore hips before. Again, they loosen up and are ok but if I stop moving in the day, and first thing in the morning and in the evenings, it’s really quite painful. I’ve also got a bit of stiffness or twinges of pain in my elbows for no good reason, but it’s mild and I can avoid noticing it.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? What could be causing it? I think it’s over the last 6 weeks, about the same time or just after I started HRT, but I haven’t done any unusual activity- have had weeks of movement and a rest week last week, but neither seem to make a difference. It’s just getting worse. And I’ve been heavy for much longer!

My hips were dreadful but HRT and collagen sorted them out, I’d mention it to your doctor.

Use it or lose it!

If you don't move enough your joints will seize up at any age.
Osteoarthritis.

I'm on HRT, not overweight and my hips twinge if I sit around a lot.

Obviously losing weight will help a lot because weight causes a lot more wear and tear on the joints.

Well, I do move- my job is active with lots of floor work, and I walk a fair bit and do classes (yoga and kickboxing). How do you know if it’s arthritis- would that come on quite quickly?

Please do consider seeing your GP, I had exactly this - really sore stiff hips getting up which loosened during the day and my HRT fixed it. When there were problems with oestragel it was my hips hurting that made me know if a batch was good or not. I was surgical menopause in early 40s. The collagen I take helps but the HRT sorted it.

I lost 3.5 stone and made no difference whatsoever to aches and pains.

Pilates is a great help with this, I find.

Did this improve @AlertCat when you lost the weight?

Do you stretch every day? Especially if you have an active job.

Sugar is an inflammatory. I noticed a difference when I gave it up. I now eat less sugar - but a bit more than I should and cut back when it hurts in the mornings! That’s my warning that Ive overdone it!

No! Disappointingly. And my back has joined in. I’m fine moving, but I stiffen to the point of being in pain quite quickly when I move after being still- be that getting out of a chair, the car, or off the floor. Some mornings I can’t do much at all until I’ve done some movement on the bed to release hips and back.

So you don’t think related to being overweight ?

It's likely low oestrogen causing joint pains, you've posted this in the menopause board - are you taking any hrt to top up your hormones? I had awful joint/limb pains and oestrogen sorted it pretty much straight away.

@Wayhome no, my elbows also ache! I think it is more likely what @Pamspeople suggested.

I had aches all over - ankles, wrists, arms, legs, it was just awful and made me really down. Was my worst meno symptom tbh and soooo glad the hrt fixed it. Hope you find something that works for you too

Go and see an NHS physio asap. You deserve not to be in pain.

Do you take any supplements OP? I take menopace and also glucosamine. The glucosamine makes a huge difference to my knee pain. It also has tumeric and other stuff in it.

I'm menopausal (51) lost 3 stone and definitely have much less joint pain, especially my knees.Its just obvious that carrying excess weight will affect your joints.

How much weight have you lost @AlertCat ?

Not sure how that’s relevant?

I’m mid 40s and I found that losing weight (not vast amounts) from about 31 bmi to 28 really helped my back, knees and feet. My hips have slowly gotten worse despite the weight loss. I’m in peri if that makes a difference.

What is your Vitamin D level ?
If you don’t know go to the GP and ask for a blood test to include Vitamin D.
Low levels can cause joint pains and aches and it takes a good few months to get your levels back into the normal range. And then take a high strength Vit D for ever

I lost a stone and it did help with menopause joint ache. I never went on HRT but the joint ache phase passed anyway. Starting gentle weight training (not heavy weights) also helped.

This is true. Vit D spray can really help with joint pain too. And eating bananas or taking potassium helps with muscle cramp at night.

Perhaps you haven’t lost enough.

you seriously don’t see that as being relevant?

@Wayhome depends on all sorts of things including starting weight, build etc so ‘how much have you lost’ isn’t really relevant… BUT I can’t imagine that any amount of weight loss will affect the pain in my elbows!