Menopause and Hip Pain: Causes, Treatments, Exercises for Relief

That nagging hip pain you’ve been blaming on “just getting older”? It might actually be related to  menopause. Hip pain in menopause may be related to the same hormonal changes that cause your hot flashes, mood swings, and irregular periods.

Read on to learn how menopause can lead to hip pain, what hip pain in menopause feels like, and the best exercises and treatments to get relief.

What Causes Hip Pain During Menopause?

Your shifting hormones — specifically estrogen — play a role. Estrogen affects many body systems, including your musculoskeletal system. Estrogen helps maintain bone structure by slowing down the natural breakdown of bone. It helps improve muscle mass and strength and increases the collagen content of connective tissues in your joints. Estrogen also plays a part in preventing inflammation. Research shows estrogen can decrease stiffness in muscles, tendons, and ligaments, leading to better joint health and fewer injuries.

Enter perimenopause — the time leading up to menopause. (Menopause officially means that it’s been a year since your last period.) Perimenopause usually begins in the mid-to-late 40s and lasts an average of four years. 

During this transition, hormone levels fluctuate and estrogen drops. With lower levels of estrogen, inflammation may occur more easily. Cartilage and other joint tissues lose some of their protection and tendons and muscles become less resilient, which can lead to pain in a variety of places — from your hips to your hands, feet, knees, elbows, back, shoulder and neck. 

Together, the joint and muscle changes and symptoms associated with the loss of estrogen are known as musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause.

So, is hip pain a symptom of menopause? Not necessarily. Hormone-related changes from menopause are not the only possible cause of hip pain during this time. Other conditions that can lead to hip pain, stiffness, and swelling include:

• Gluteal tendinopathy. This is a type of tendon issue in your hips and glutes (butt muscles), that causes tendon tissue to become irritated, inflamed, or break down, leading to hip pain.

• Hip bursitis. Bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles near your joints, including your hips. Bursitis occurs when bursae become inflamed.

• Osteoarthritis (OA). This most common type of arthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of bones changes over time. OA can happen in any joint, causing symptoms such as pain and stiffness that tend to worsen after activity.

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy tissue lining the joints, causing chronic inflammation.

• Fractures due to osteoporosis. This disease makes your bones thinner, weaker, and more likely to break. Osteoporosis most commonly affects bones in your hips, wrists, and spine.

• Fibromyalgia. This chronic disorder is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, as well as fatigue, trouble sleeping, and cognitive difficulties.

Talk to your healthcare provider to determine all the possible contributors to your hip pain.

Symptoms of Menopause-Related Hip Pain

There aren’t any special symptoms that make menopause hip pain different from other kinds of hip pain. It’s important to check for other causes (like those above), but if you’re in perimenopause or menopause (with symptoms like irregular periods and hot flashes) and have hip pain, hormone changes might be part of the reason. Some symptoms might include:

• Pain and tenderness around the hip that may radiate to the groin, outer thigh, or buttocks

• Pain that ranges in severity from a dull ache to a sharp sensation

• Increased pain during activities like walking, climbing stairs, or after prolonged periods of rest

• Decreased range of motion in the hip

Why Does Menopause Hip Pain Increase at Night?

Side sleeping on your affected hip can lead to pain. But there can be more to it. When your muscles are at rest, there’s less blood flow and lubrication in the joints, which can impact pain. Plus, fluctuating hormone levels during menopause can lead to sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality, which can make hip pain worse, explains Heidi Austin, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health.

Physical Therapy for Hip Pain In Menopause

When hip joints ache, you’re more likely to avoid movement. But in most cases, being active can actually help you feel better. “Weight-bearing exercise in particular can play a crucial role in helping menopausal women manage hip pain,” says Dr. Austin. This includes high and low impact activities like running, jumping, walking, or yoga, and strength exercises, like lifting weights or using bands. Weight-bearing exercise can help:

• Strengthen bones

• Preserve range of motion

• Reduce joint stiffness

• Promote tendon health and resilience

• Prevent muscle loss

• Increase joint lubrication

You can exercise on your own to ease menopause-related hip pain, but working with a physical therapist (PT) can be helpful. A PT can do a full assessment and help tailor a comprehensive treatment plan to help relieve hip and joint pain symptoms and improve your overall function. 

A PT may recommend exercises and stretches to strengthen the muscles around your hip and improve flexibility, which can help ease discomfort. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

Try the above exercises to reduce pain and improve overall hip function in perimenopause and menopause.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

More Ways to Treat Menopause-Related Hip Pain

Regular physical activity is key to reducing joint pain during menopause, including hip pain. In addition to exercise, there are a range of lifestyle changes and other treatment options that may help ease your hip aches and prevent them from getting worse. Talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe and appropriate for you.

Maintain a healthy diet. Diet alone can’t cure joint pain. But well-balanced meals can play an important role. 

• Protein is a building block for bones, muscles, and other tissues. When estrogen drops during perimenopause, it can speed up muscle loss. A higher protein diet may have muscle health benefits. Include lean sources of protein in your diet, such as lean meat, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. 

• Anti-inflammatory foods can help reduce inflammation that contributes to joint pain. These include fruits (such as strawberries and blueberries); green, leafy vegetables (spinach, kale); fatty fish (salmon and tuna); nuts (almonds and walnuts) and healthy fats (olive oil).

• Vitamin D helps maintain bone and muscle strength. Your skin makes vitamin D from sunlight, but you may need more. You can get it from foods like fish and eggs, fortified cereals, milk, and orange juice, or from a supplement. Your provider can check your vitamin D levels.

• Calcium is a mineral that helps make your bones rigid and strong. Women 50 years and older should get 1,200 mg of calcium daily. Calcium can be found in dairy products, certain fish, vegetables, fruits, fortified foods, and supplements.

Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight adds stress to your joints, but losing weight during perimenopause and menopause can be a struggle — and there’s no quick fix.  Many factors play a role, so it takes a multifaceted approach. A healthy diet and regular exercise, especially strength-building activities, are key. Better sleep, less stress, and taking care of your mental health can also help with weight management during the menopause transition. Other dietary supplements — such as fish oil (which contains omega-3 fatty acids) and others — may help ease inflammation and improve joint health. Your provider can help determine if a supplement may help ease menopausal joint pain and if it’s safe for you to take. Plump up your sleeping position. If you’re a side-sleeper, put a pillow between your thighs and another between your knees and shins (or use a body pillow). This helps take pressure off your hips as you sleep. Try cold or heat therapy. Ice can help reduce inflammation and swelling to provide temporary pain relief. Heat is most commonly used for muscles that feel stiff or sore.

Take steps to reduce stress. That’s because stress may make joint pain worse. Deep breathing, meditation and yoga, or taking short walks may help keep stress levels in check. A bonus: Mind-body relaxation techniques have also been shown to help relieve the severity and frequency of hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause. 

Consult your provider about menopause hormone therapy (MHT). Hormone treatment may help reduce joint pain during perimenopause and menopause. There are many different types of MHT available. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine if MHT is right for you.

PT Tip: Stay Active

“Movement is one of the best ways to manage menopausal hip pain,” says Dr. Austin. “Weight-bearing exercises are key to helping strengthen bones and muscles and preserve bone health.” Plus, regular physical activity can help reduce other symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and sleep disturbances, reduce stress and improve your mood, she explains. “It’s never too late to start.”  

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

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