Why does everything hurt?
Are these symptoms of Perimenopause or could it be my shoes?
Could be the shoes.
This post contains affiliate links for products I love. As an Amazon Associate In-Chelle-Igence earns a small commission on these links at no cost to you, and the links will always be marked with an asterisk.
Why does everything hurt? Is this part of getting older or is it part of perimenopause? About 3 years ago I developed a debilitating pain in my left elbow. There were a few months when I had trouble picking anything up with that hand without a searing pain that would shoot through my forearm and up into the joint. Gripping water bottles, pans while cooking, and even something as small as my phone would leave a dull ache in my left arm. It went on for months. I had no idea where it came from as there had been no acute injury that gave me any clues. It just sort of snuck up on me. I wondered if it was from the road trips we had been taking all that season. Maybe I was grasping too tightly at the steering wheel? Could it be the bag I constantly have on my left shoulder that carries everything from my wallet to my spin shoes to any groceries I need to grab on the way home? Not exactly an ergonomically correct way to lug 10-20 pounds around the city on a regular basis. Or maybe it was the yoga I had started incorporating but hadn’t quite mastered the form. Regardless, it was not going away, no matter what I tried and I tried a lot. Ice,* rest, therapy balls,* stretching, CBD muscle balm, massage….all the things. I finally gave in and went to see an orthopedic and he told me what I already knew because I am a master medical Googler. Tendonitis of the elbow, not much we can do about it except stop doing the activity that exacerbates it. Sorry babe, no more cooking or cleaning the kitchen for me, doctors orders. While I was relieved to hear it typically resolves on its own in six months to a year, I did wrestle with it for probably a good 2 years off and on. It never got so bad that I considered a cortisone shot because you know me and needles. If you need a refresher you can read this blog post.
I’ve always been active so I’ve always had niggling aches and pains that I’ve learned to manage over the years. Whether it was the knee pain from improper biomechanics over many marathon miles or the cyst in my foot that caused a lot of pain and had to be surgically removed. The squats or lunges that caused so much soreness it was hard and often comical to go to the bathroom for days. I’ve done the “Murph” a few times and wow does that make you humble and sore? I’ve battled piriformis syndrome and IT Band syndrome. But I always knew the pain I was having had a reason and a solution. Sometimes my choice of footwear isn’t as supportive as it should be when I’m walking all over NYC. When I’ve been lifting heavy I knew to be painstaking about correct form and engaging my core. When Scott got me on the bike in the city I knew to wear my helmet and it only took me falling over twice while standing still to learn to quickly unclip my shoe. Those bruises were no joke, I can’t imagine falling off that thing while moving. When adding all of the running miles I knew I had to keep up with my strength and stretching so as not to create imbalances. Some of the strongest running of my life was when I was also doing Bikram yoga twice a week. Mobility and training smart are so important.
So all of these new random aches and pains are starting to wear on me. I feel like the pain just migrates to a new spot on my body, The elbow finally felt better and then not long after that, I tweaked my back. I was in the gym, not lifting anything particularly heavy. During a circuit of shoulder press and box jumps I bent down to stretch a bit and my back was not happy about that. It didn’t actually “go out” but something did not feel right and it continued to get worse the rest of the day. There was a good two weeks where trying to roll over in bed caused significant pain in my low back and hips. It wasn’t constant but when it wasn’t happy it was loud and clear. I once again pulled out all of the therapies I had in my toolbox. Pain patches* at night, Hypervolt Percussion gun,* foam rolling,* stem* and chiropractic, acupuncture….all the things. The weird part was it didn’t hurt all the time and movement actually made it feel better. I’m still nursing it along but I am at the point where the orthopedic is a phone call away and it might be time. I just want to see what’s really going on since it’s been long enough that it should have healed.
Not only am I still dealing with the back trouble but now my neck and left shoulder are grumpy. Again, no specific acute injury just nagging pain and restriction in those two areas. Since I’ve been reading up on all things perimenopause it occurred to me that these new random aches could be triggered by my fluctuating hormones. Nobody ever talks about these lesser-known symptoms, which does us all a disservice. Yes, apparently pain can get worse in midlife due to the fact that estrogen affects your cartilage as well as the replacement of bone. Because estrogen helps to reduce inflammation, as its levels decline, inflammation may increase, which can cause pain and menopause-related arthritis. I’ve been in this body a long time and can usually tell when it’s time to see a doctor, although I’m the first to admit I can be stubborn. None of these issues scream “HURT” to me. They scream check your mobility, look for ways to manage stress, and think about all the hours you’ve been sitting in a chair retouching or the too many nights of Netflix. They scream drink more water, add in some anti-inflammatory supplements, stretch, and get more sleep so your body can rest and repair. Regardless if it’s from menopause or aging or the heels I refuse to give up, the remedies are the same.
