I'm in my 40’s & feel like I'm falling apart - Cascadia Chiropractic Centre

Within my first few months of practice as an RMT, I discovered something surprising. Sure, I had learned about the condition and the stats in school, but when I actually saw it over, and over again in my practice, I couldn’t believe it was real. I was shocked that no one was talking about it.

Let me set the scene: One by one, over the course of a few months, several patients with frozen shoulder walked through my door looking for help. They all had the same progression of pain and stiffness, the same pattern of restricted shoulder movement. But there was another shocking thing 80% of them had in common: they had ovaries and they were over the age of 48.

Yes, you read that right. Most cases of frozen shoulder occur in women during perimenopause and menopause.

And then, suddenly, someone was talking about it.

In July 2024, an article published by Dr. Vonda Wright looked at this trend and finally gave women words to explain their symptoms. Her research, called “The Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause,” looked at the total body effects of the menopausal decrease in estrogen and was able to link together related symptoms no one was talking about. The healthcare community has long recognized symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, and difficulty sleeping, but for the first time, the conversation turned to musculoskeletal symptoms.

What are some of these symptoms?

musculoskeletal pain (pain that affects the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons)
loss of lean muscle mass
loss of bone density (with increased risk of breaking bones)
increased tendon injuries
increased ligament injuries
adhesive capsulitis like Frozen Shoulder

I am in this age range and have noticed some of these symptoms. What do I do about it? Dr. Vonda Wright suggests taking charge of your healthcare journey. She suggests printing out a copy of the article for your primary care provider (i.e. doctor) to start the conversation, asking them about your symptoms, and discussing the clinical recommendations made in the article. She suggests throwing away the old ideas that “this is just normal and my body is slowing down as I age,” and instead encourages women to work with their doctor (and a physical trainer where applicable) to build their muscle strength and bone density (yes – a good amount of research has shown this is possible, even after menopause!). She encourages us to leave behind the idea that women need to be unhealthily thin to be considered beautiful and valuable, embracing a cultural shift toward physically strong and fit women as the norm.

How can Cascadia help?

We love being part of your health and wellness journey. If you have spoken with your doctor about your symptoms and would like help with therapeutic exercise that works with your symptoms, we can help! If you are struggling with pain management and would like information about breathing exercises and other techniques that have been shown to help, we are here for you. Additional therapies like shockwave and laser may be beneficial in certain cases. Massage has been shown to help decrease sympathetic nervous system firing and can be an additional pain management tool in your health journey.

Let’s get the conversation started!