4 Ways Your Body Changes During Menopause (and what you can do)

Menopause is no joke, and the side effects drastically impact the body and quality of life!  This should be the age of womanhood when you live life to the fullest and do everything you enjoy.  And while that might still be true for some, these pesky body changes during menopause can really start to get in the way (I'm looking at you, hot flashes)!

We just recently held our first "Your Body Without Estrogen" workshop last week, where we covered these topics in much greater detail and gave solutions for these issues.  A great group of women learned a ton at the workshop.  If you are interested in attending a menopause workshop, check out our upcoming events for the next scheduled workshop.

You may already know about some of the body changes during menopause, but we'll dive a little deeper into some of the most common issues.  The drop in estrogen levels during menopause is the main culprit for all these symptoms.  While having hormone replacement therapy is one solution, we will focus on more natural ways of alleviating symptoms, including women's health physical therapy.  Keep reading to learn some simple strategies you can try right away!

1. Hot Flashes & Insomnia

You can't sleep, AND your sheets are drenched in sweat. How annoying, hey?!?  Both of these annoying issues are caused primarily by the drop in estrogen that occurs in the body.  Although there isn't a permanent solution, exercise can help alleviate hot flashes and insomnia.  Hot flashes can also be controlled by diet to some degree, so avoid triggers such as alcohol and coffee.  Insomnia can also be influenced by stress in your life, so trying to manage stress and unwind before bed can also help you get some extra ZZZs.

2.  Dryness

While vaginal dryness is common as women age, it can lead to other issues, such as painful intercourse and incontinence.  It's caused by the loss of estrogen, which ultimately slows down mucous production in the vaginal area, creating dryness.  Topical estrogen cream can help by giving you just a little of the hormone to that specific location.  It's also a good idea to make sure that painful intercourse is not stemming from trigger points in the pelvic floor by having it assessed by a physical therapist.

3.  Weight Gain

As estrogen levels drop, it can contribute to increased body fat and decreased muscle and bone mass.  Many women who come into our clinic want help to build up muscle again because of this.  When you lose muscle mass, it slows your metabolism down, making it much harder to keep excess weight off.  Exercising will help increase your muscle mass and burn more fat.  It will also keep your bones strong depending on the type of exercise you do, which is important for long-term health.

4.  Incontinence

Nobody likes having to run to the bathroom, wear a pad, or worse, have to bring a change of clothes along in case of an episode of incontinence.  We tend to see women coming into the office with this issue as they get closer to menopause, but it is not due entirely to the decrease in estrogen.  Often times there are multiple factors that culminate for many years, eventually leading to incontinence.  Since the cause of incontinence can be complex, it is best to see a pelvic floor physical therapist that specializes in these issues to make sure you can fully resolve the incontinence.  If you are in the Milwaukee area (we have locations in Hales Corners and Wauwatosa) and have questions, contact me to schedule a free consultation to discuss these issues and how to resolve them.

A consistent exercise routine and a healthy diet can go a long way to help you navigate the common body changes during menopause. If you want extra help, don't hesitate to ask for it.  Life is too short to suffer daily! If you're curious how we can help alleviate common menopause symptoms, schedule your consultation with one of our pelvic floor physical therapists today!