Peri-Menopausal Pain Is Not an Injury
Women over 40 often experience low back, hip, or joint pain.
The underlying cause of this bodily pain varies for each person, but a large percentage of women receive normal test results with the message that there’s nothing physically wrong.
hormone changes can cause increased pain sensitivity in the body.
Entering peri-menopause, I was completely blindsided. Every person’s experience is different. For me, it came on fast and strong. My symptoms presented a mystery that doctors weren’t sure how to diagnose or treat.
After 2 years of seeking medical help doctors confirmed I was peri-menopausal and provided me with options such as hysterectomy or birth control.
Here’s a list of symptoms women over 40 have shared with me (some I’ve also experienced)
Back pain with no underlying cause
Hip pain with no underlying cause
Pain during intercourse
Difficulty with bowel movements
Insomnia
Heavy & frequent bleeding
Fibroids
Enlarged uterus
Ovarian cysts
Weight gain
Increased food sensitivities
Emotional unrest
Mental fatigue
Frozen shoulder
I've never felt more grateful for my education than I do now.
It encompasses Meditation, Breathwork, Yoga and Strength Training along with self-study in areas like Chinese medicine, Nutrition & Herbal Remedies, Pilates, the Nervous System, and Somatics.
Because of this education, when faced with the possibility of a hysterectomy, I knew there was another option. I also knew that if having a hysterectomy was a necessary step, that would be OK too. I took what information I had gathered from medical professionals, turned inward to my own knowledge, and to my books.
It took time, and careful observation, to understand the waves of symptoms.
Thanks to medical imaging I found out a fibroid was growing between my uterus and bladder. Finally, I had an answer to why I was experiencing incontinence just prior to the start of my period each month. For a long time, it didn’t make any sense at all. I could skip, jump on a trampoline, sneeze and laugh as hard as I wanted with zero bladder issues. Then, about a week before my period, I could barely walk up the road without some leakage. What the heck? Fibroids. They can grow with hormone changes. Most will shrink and disappear after menopause.
This, plus an enlarged uterus, equaled the best possible solution, a hysterectomy.
I want to take a moment here to share with you what happened to me emotionally when I was presented with the very real possibility of a hysterectomy. This is no reflection of what others might feel in a similar situation.
When it was presented to me that I may need to have my uterus removed, I felt a sudden connection within my body I didn’t know previously. This amazing organ led me through sexuality, identity, and having children. And now, thinking of the possibility of an empty space within my body where this beautiful life giving organ resides, I grieved.
Prior to this moment, I would often curse at having my menstrual cycle and, at different times in my life, i rejected my femininity completely.
In my heart, I knew that if I needed a hysterectomy it would be OK, my body would be fine, and I wouldn’t be any less of a person.
Yet somehow, in the face of potential absence, I found myself grieving as if it were the loss of a dear friend.
I realized I didn’t want to be without her. I dedicated myself to 3 months of sincere changes to see if there was a way to overcome these symptoms other than operation.
With a willingness to change, the process of healing began.
Here’s a list of things I adjusted in hopes to help my body enjoy a smoother transition into menopause:
Stopped eating processed foods, dairy, sugar, gluten, and most carbohydrates
Included dark leafy greens everyday. Everyday. This was a must, especially spinach, loads of spinach.
Increased my B vitamins, as well as Vitamin D, Zinc, and Magnesium
Increased healthy oils like olive oil or avocado
Occasionally took a turmeric supplement for inflammation
Made sure I went to sleep by 10 pm
Developed a hydration routine
Meditation – including sound meditation – every morning 30 – 45 mins
Pranayama – 10 - 30 mins – every morning
Headstand and shoulder stand plus leg and hip stretches every evening
Learned to say no in order to honor my boundaries and important health routines
*I share this to inspire, not to prescribe. Find what works for you, chat with your health care professional. What worked for me may not be right for you.
Within 3 months, I was 95% symptom free.
I no longer went into a spiral of worries that something was dreadfully wrong. I began to care for my body, nourishing it instead of scolding or denying.
I’m not injured, my body is dealing with a transition.
I dedicate the majority of my success to dietary and supplemental changes, going to bed early, and the practices of meditation / sound meditation / breath / headstand / shoulder stand and strength routines.
I’ve curated classes within the Tasha Mae method app that are the exact routines that helped me including the pelvic floor & core strengthening program, legs up the wall stretches, and sound meditation.
Each person has a unique journey. For some, the treatments presented by the medical profession is heaven sent. I’ve heard many women say that having a hysterectomy was the best choice they ever made. Every individual journey is so different, and each has a good reason for the path they choose.
Individuals in a male body also go through hormone changes as they mature and is also a topic not often talked about. They experience a drop in hormones that can affect their sleep, moods, energy level, libido, and strength.
I’m writing this post in hopes to inspire you to honor your body, to listen to her, and to take action on what she’s telling you no matter how far out it looks.
Transitioning through to menopause is not a medical problem, its a journey. A journey that may need support from you, and a community.
The Tasha Mae method is a community that can provide support. Let’s do this, together.
With love,
Tasha
