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[heidif67]

I have been taking turmeric paste (home made) regularly which hugely improved my knee pain....BUT (and there's always a but) I started to experience really rather severe aches in my ankles, arch of my left foot, hips and back to the extent that all I wanted to do was sit down and not move anywhere but which made me think there was probably something else going on.  I am very active - always on my feet with work - and I walk a lot with my dog. 

I was petrified I had some sort of arthritis and had a mad panic about the future so went to the doctor.  He told me I had flat feet & they were the cause of my aches and pains.  To get an NHS appt with a podiatrist has taken 3 months, so in the meantime I bought some orthotic insoles which have REALLY improved things. 

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is not to assume it's 'just menopause' that's giving you your aches and pains.  I've had flat feet all my life and they have never caused me any problems.  But they do now & it's very common for this sort of thing to develop in later life!!  Flat feet & other foot issues can completely throw your ankles, knees, hips and back out of their correct alignment and cause all sorts of problems.

If you have achey ankles, knees, hips and back it might just be worth getting your trotters looked at by your doctor

[Katejo]

I have been taking turmeric paste (home made) regularly which hugely improved my knee pain....BUT (and there's always a but) I started to experience really rather severe aches in my ankles, arch of my left foot, hips and back to the extent that all I wanted to do was sit down and not move anywhere but which made me think there was probably something else going on.  I am very active - always on my feet with work - and I walk a lot with my dog. 

I was petrified I had some sort of arthritis and had a mad panic about the future so went to the doctor.  He told me I had flat feet & they were the cause of my aches and pains.  To get an NHS appt with a podiatrist has taken 3 months, so in the meantime I bought some orthotic insoles which have REALLY improved things. 

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is not to assume it's 'just menopause' that's giving you your aches and pains.  I've had flat feet all my life and they have never caused me any problems.  But they do now & it's very common for this sort of thing to develop in later life!!  Flat feet & other foot issues can completely throw your ankles, knees, hips and back out of their correct alignment and cause all sorts of problems.

If you have achey ankles, knees, hips and back it might just be worth getting your trotters looked at by your doctor

  How much have the orthotic insoles helped since you wrote this heidif67 ? I suspect that I  have flat feet and would benefit from seeing a podiatrist but I find it difficult enough to buy shoes as it is. I am size 8/42 and so many shops either don't stock my size or their sizing is inaccurate and the shoes are too small. I also need wide fit. I have seen shoes on sale online but refuse to buy anything which I can't try on first. If I did try a podiatrist, i'd probably pay rather than going through a GP.

[Sparrow]

Have you tried Hotters Katejo.

I have a very high instep and find they are one of the few that fit.  They do extra wide and half sizes too.

[Katejo]

Have you tried Hotters Katejo.

I have a very high instep and find they are one of the few that fit.  They do extra wide and half sizes too.

I don't have a shop anywhere near me. I did go  into one in Bath last summer but they didn't have my size in the ones which I liked so I didn't get to try any on.

[Lolafraola]

Hi Ladies,

I'm at my wits end with the pain in my left hip that radiates to the groin - a twinge which I've now had for 4 years, sometimes not too bad but sometimes it's sooo bad. I've always been fairly active and love running but I now can't run at all - well I did twice in 2 months and the pain was so bad afterwards I'm suffering PTSD!. It doesn't hurt whilst I'm running but afterwards I can't move for days unless I take anti inflammatories which I don't want to do (at least not regularly). So far have had hip xray - all fine, Dexa scan - slight osteopenia in left hip but wouldn't cause this pain. 2 MRIs - found I have spondylolisthesis but not severely so unlikely to be the cause. Seen 3 neurologists and have had sports massages and seen a specialist lower lumbar/hip physio - still in pain! It's a twinge combined with a kind of severe bruising which means I can't touch my left side. Of course this may have nothing to do with the Meno but strange that it came on 4 years ago - 53 now and 2 years Meno...

Last Neurologist has asked me to have A SPECT scan (nuclear med) but prefer to avoid if possible.

Thanks for listening to my tale of pain and woe....feel really low about it all. I think I've exhausted all my options and don't now where else to turn, go do...

LF x

[Lolafraola]

Hi Sparkle,

That was going to be my next stop. I've had gait analysis and nothing to suggest that may be the issue but will revisit as possibility.

LF

[Bungo]

Am perimenopausal. Anyone else have swelling in fingers ( mid joint usually). It comes and goes, I might have a sore swollen index finger for 3 or so days and then gone. Then might have different 2 swollen  fingers the following week. There's no pattern I can see. Affects both hands . Is this common with menopause. My GP tested for rheumatoid etc but nothing, it doesn't fit the profile for that anyway as that's mainly in knuckles . I've mentioned menopause to her but she hadn't come across any other patient with this. Suffer from anxiety so think she believes I'm imagining the pain (I've never gotten am appointment at a time when a few fingers are visibly swollen)- others have seen them though and all say it's really noticeable and I'm definitely not imagining.

[CLKD]

Morning Bungo - my Mum had some kind of rheumatic hand problems which spread to all joints to the point that she couldn't dress herself.  Can't remember the name this early in the morning.  Did your GP do blood tests and an X-ray.  The latter can show signs of wear and tear as well as inflammation even if the joints are swollen.  However, as oestrogen levels drop muscles maybe come lax = aches and pains.  Is it cyclic? around the time you would have had a bleed?  What are your periods doing?

Does anyone in your close family have joint problems or rheumatoid arthritis? 

Anxiety levels can rise too made worse by GPs not knowing a lot about menopause  .  Is it painful enough to take a 'nurofen'-type pill?

Browse round the various threads.  Join in.

[Bungo]

Am on mini pill so haven't had a bleed in years. Trying to work out if cyclical or not. Started pretty much overnight 8 months ago when fingers and feet both got inflamed  and swollen. Had MRIs when all had settled down and inflammation flare had passed and they showed have mild arthritis in both big toes but nothing showed in fingers . Bloods didn't show alot of inflammation . Have chronic pain in both toes most days now and varying finger pain and swelling. That's why think it has to be hormone related as never had any pain whatsoever upto 8 months ago. My theory is there was a massive drop in hormone levels back then- does this happen? I've gone from being able to wear any shoes I liked to only being able to tolerate runners or barefoot.

[Bungo]

That's reassuring sparkle.Did yours happen overnight? Wonder if means I'm really close to menopause now, really must come off the mini pill so I can tell for certain. Putting off as hormones all over the place as it is and don't want to make worse! Was really stressed at start as convinced was something sinister whereas now my biggest issue is the practicalities of not being able to wear shoes for any length of time and the impact on trying to live a normal life within these constraints 😀. Am taking vit d supplement but will get checked by GP next time am there. Are you taking her, am thinking will try this when post menopausal to get pain free feet- that's keeping me going, knowing this won't last forever and there is a solution down the line

[CLKD]

Sometimes the arches in the feet drop so maybe get your feet measured correctly or see a podiatrist for advice? 

I still can't think of the condition Mum had but it was constant for years and required steroid treatments.  Oh Polymyalgia rheumatica - got it 

[Bungo]

Went to podiatrist , she said go to my GP as no mechanical issues with gait etc. There should be more awareness that these kind of issues are related to menopause, that not just hot flushes (which luckily I've been spared so far).

[Bungo]

Did the pain and swelling go away after menopause or stick around?

[Bungo]

That sounds like some form of arthritis,, not just hormonal swelling . You should get an x-ray or MRI?

[CLKD]

My Mum's fingers seem to have got longer, thinner and crooked.