Scientists have discovered a new type of arthritis which they are calling menopausal arthritis.
A new type of arthritis
A recent study (1) has shed new light on a little-known type of arthritis known as ‘menopausal arthritis’, which effects women at the onset of the menopause and causes moderate to severe pain and swelling mainly in the fingers and wrists.
The study(1), carried out in September 2005, was on women who were taking oestrogen inhibiting drugs for breast cancer, found that the reduction in oestrogen production caused a rapid onset of arthritic symptoms.
The women experienced pain and swelling mainly of the finger and wrist joints, and sometimes in the jaw in a relatively short period following the start of a course of oestrogen blocking hormone therapy.
Until now little has been known about the effects of oestrogen on joint inflammation, but authors of the new study conclude it proves previously held suspicions that a sudden reduction of oestrogen production, such as at the start of the menopause or due to hormone therapy, can trigger a rapid onset of arthritic symptoms.
Evidence suggests that ’menopausal arthritis’ mainly affects the joints in the fingers. It is characterised by bony knobs visible on the fingers. Often small lumps will occur on either side of the joint. Doctors suggest it is not a destructive disease (and can be only temporary) and will respond well to anti -inflammatories both natural and medicinal.
3-ways to prevent menopausal-related Arthritis
1. Control early aches and pains
Most people would not feel comfortable using regular NSAID’s (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) either as a cream or a tablet without having diagnosed and fairly advanced osteoarthritis.
However, today’s suggests that mild symptoms of bone and joint problems could begin before the menopause takes place. So using a natural non-drug anti-inflammatory cream that has no side effects on any small aches and pains may help delay the onset of menopausal related arthritis through gentle daily management of mild inflammation of the joints.
One such natural anti-inflammatory treatment which has been found in two recent UK trials to be particularly effective for use on the hands and fingers is Boswellia and Commiphora Cream.
The two ancient spices, Boswellia Serrata (Frankincense) and Commiphora Molmol (Myrrh) have a long medical history of relieving the inflammation associated with osteopathic forms of arthritis.
There have been over 20 published scientific studies on these two ingredients in the last 15 years but the first UK trial in 2004 using this unique combination was carried out by Dr Robert Jacobs, a GP from Devon on 30 of his arthritic patients.
Dr Jacobs says: “Both myself and my wife are arthritis sufferers and have been trying the cream for several weeks now and have found it to be as good, if not better, than conventional prescription anti-inflammatory drugs.”
"In my limited experience of ‘no-drug’ arthritis creams, this cream appears to be significantly more effective for the treatment of joint inflammation.”
In addition a subsequent larger trial on 80 patients was carried out in December 2004 on Boswellia and Commiphora cream by Dr Donald Grant. It concluded that the cream had a statistically significant effect both on the pain and stiffness caused by arthritis. Of those on the trial 83% stated that they felt the cream helped them with their arthritis.
2. Take supplements to build stronger joints
A recent study found that the two supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate help in preventing the onset of osteoarthritis. The study, carried out at the University of Utah in the US and published by the UK charity Arthritis Research Campaign, found that the two supplements worked best in combination.
The supplements are thought to work as joint cartilage contains both glucosamine and chondroitin and so taking additional supplementation of these two substances helps to build stronger bone cartilage to help guard against arthritis.
The study found the combination of supplements to be effective after several weeks or moderate knee pain caused by early onset osteoarthritis.
3. Eat more selenium
A new study published this week has found that low levels of selenium in people’s diets can increase the risk of osteoarthritis as the mineral acts as a protective antioxidant.
British women are particularly at risk because studies have shown that levels of selenium are very low in British soil compared to the US, meaning that many foods grown in the UK lack beneficial levels of selenium, which may be part of the reason why osteoarthritis is on the rise in the UK.
So incorporating more selenium-rich food sources into your diet in your early 50’s could help reduce women’s risks of getting menopausal-linked arthritis.
Selected food sources of selenium
|
Food
|
Micrograms
(μg)
|
Percent
DV
|
|
Brazil
nuts, dried, unblanched, 1 ounce
|
544
|
780
|
|
Tuna,
light, canned in oil, drained, 3 ounces
|
63
|
95
|
|
Beef,
cooked, 3½ ounces
|
35
|
50
|
|
Spaghetti
w/ meat sauce, 1 serving
|
34
|
50
|
|
Cod,
cooked, 3 ounces
|
32
|
45
|
|
Turkey, light meat, roasted, 3½ ounces
|
32
|
45
|
|
Roast
beef, lean only, roasted, 3 ounces
|
23
|
35
|
|
Chicken
Breast, meat only, roasted, 3½ ounces
|
20
|
30
|
|
Noodles,
boiled, 1/2 cup
|
17
|
25
|
|
Macaroni,
boiled, 1/2 cup
|
15
|
20
|
|
Egg,
whole, 1 medium
|
14
|
20
|
|
Cottage
cheese, low fat 2%, 1/2 cup
|
12
|
15
|
|
Oatmeal,
instant, fortified, cooked, 1 cup
|
12
|
15
|
|
Rice,
white, long grain, cooked, 1/2 cup
|
12
|
15
|
|
Rice,
brown, long-grained, cooked, 1/2 cup
|
10
|
15
|
|
Bread,
enriched, whole wheat, commercially prepared, 1 slice
|
10
|
15
|
|
Walnuts,
black, dried, 1 ounce
|
5
|
8
|
|
Bread,
enriched, white, commercially prepared, 1 slice
|
4
|
6
|
|
Cheddar
cheese, 1 ounce
|
4
|
6
|
Case study:
Pauline Wright, 50, is a telephone customer relations officer from Edinburgh in Scotland with two grown up children.
Pauline says:
I
am currently going through the menopause, although I think I may have
had symptoms for a few years before but it wasn’t diagnosed as I was
quite young to be starting the menopause.
My
symptoms were typical in that I started getting hot flushes mostly at
night, I had some mild mood swings which I really noticed because I’ve
never had that sort of thing before and my menstrual cycle became
irregular.
But
one of the symptoms I had which actually caused me more pain than
anything else was that the joints in my fingers and hands really
started to ache and I’d often wake up I the mornings with swollen
fingers.
I
had started to find it harder to grip things for the first few hours
after I woke up for about a year before I went through the menopause,
although there was no real pain, just a few minor aches. But it was the
loss of action that I noticed first. Even doing up my skirt for work
became a bit tricky.
Before
the menopause began, the pain in my fingers was not immense so I didn’t
really think to bother my doctor about it, although I did mention it
once and he said it was most likely to be a minor sprain as I had it
worse in one hand than the other and so that was the hand I showed him.
But
with the onset of the menopause the pain increased and became first
annoying, then quite chronic, it was like a nagging ache and the
swelling was a problem because it prevented me from doing simple things
like opening jars or putting my make up on.
My
mother has arthritis and although she takes medication for it, for the
last year she has been using this natural cream called Boswellia and
Commiphora Cream on her hands and knees which she told me helps with
the pain and swelling. She suggested I tried some, which I did, and
within a week of using it the swelling and pain in my fingers had
reduced quite noticeably. After a month I could barely notice it and
was able to get my rings back on my fingers, which showed just how much
the swelling had gone down. I ordered myself a pot of the cream from
the internet for myself and I use it every day twice a day. I find it
particularly helpful for the mornings as it brings the overnight
swelling down within half an hour.
In
only wish I had thought to use it earlier when I first noticed the
swelling in my fingers and the lack of movement, and I would not have
had to suffer so much pain for the last few years.”
Ref:
1.
Study by David T. Felson, M.D., of Boston University Clinical
Epidemiology Unit, and Steven R. Cummings, M.D., of California Pacific
Medical Center Research Institute and University of California, San
Francisco and published in September 2005 issue of Arthritis &
Rheumatism
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