Do you experience sudden aches or stiffness in your joints during your period? Well, you are not the only person. Irritability and mood swings are common symptoms during periods, and period cramps can come as a surprise for many women. In this blog, we'll look at what causes the pain, which joints are involved, how it feels, and how it's related to other period symptoms. We'll also give you easy home remedies and when to call a doctor. Let's get to know your body better—a symptom at a time.
What is the reason behind joint pain during periods?
Hormonal fluctuations, especially the decline in estrogen the week before and during your period, can have an impact on your joints. Since estrogen helps protect joints and cut inflammation, when levels drop, pain and stiffness can appear.
Another suspect: prostaglandins — chemical messengers that surge during menstruation, causing the uterus to contract. They can also result in pain in muscles and joints throughout the body.
Fluid retention — a common PMS symptom — may also exacerbate that sense of heaviness or tightness in the joints during your period.
When does period joint pain typically start?
It is not unusual for women to tell us that joint pain sneaks in a few days before menstruation. That timing is logical as estrogen levels start to decrease during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, right before menstruation starts. Joint stiffness, particularly upon waking in the morning or after prolonged periods of rest. For some of the women, the discomfort is most intense in the first two to three days of menstruation — when levels of prostaglandins are highest.
These chemicals, while necessary for managing the menstrual cycle, can cause inflammation not just in the uterus but in muscles and joints too.
Adding to the discomfort, some women also feel sore joints along with body aches, fatigue or bloating, making the pain feel more systemic. For people with existing conditions like arthritis, the hormonal drop can exacerbate symptoms around this time. Fortunately, for most women, the pain usually lessens on its own after a couple of days of your period.
Which joints are most affected?
Though period-induced joint pain can differ among people, many women notice soreness in the knees, lower back, hips and smaller joints like the wrists or fingers. These joints could feel stiff, achy, or tender during menstruation. The knees are a common area of concern, in particular, becoming swollen or sore, particularly if you’re on your feet for hours at a time.
These joints can feel heavier than they normally would due to hormonal fluctuations and water retention. If you already have sensitive joints, you may experience more pain during your menstruation.
How it feels: common joint pain symptoms
Period joint pain isn’t always a one-size-fits-all experience. Some women have a dull, nagging ache in their knees or hips, and others feel stiffness — particularly in the morning. You may also notice that your joints feel heavier or more fatigued than normal. Some go so far as to refer to it as “flu-like” body aches during one’s period.
Swelling in your joints occur due to water retention and inflammation that is triggered by prostaglandins. And due to this you may have limited movements from one place to another, particularly when you are exercising or going for a long walk.
Sometimes, this pain in the joints is also aggravated by soreness in the muscles or general fatigue, which can hamper your daily activities. You may also feel a bit of tenderness when touching or moving certain joints. While these symptoms generally resolve after a few days, they can be annoying, and often overlap with other period-related discomforts, such as cramps and mood changes.
How is period joint pain connected to other symptoms?
Most likely, joint pain during your periods will not be experienced due to solitary reasons, but as part of a of symptoms that results from hormonal changes. When estrogen and progesterone go down in values, they can affect the complete body. For instance, the same prostaglandins that cause contractions in the uterus and cramping can also create inflammatory changes in muscles and joints. That is why period pain affects your back, legs, or even arms.
Some other prevalent symptoms include body aches, which are typically confused as flu symptoms. Another common companion is fatigue; it intensifies how you may experience joint pains and makes your body feel heavier.
Some women report bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and other digestive complications such as diarrhoea or constipation as well. These overlap and are generally classified under PMS.
Home remedies to relieve joint pain during periods
Period-related joint pain often improves with simple home remedies. Here are a few things we recommend you should try:
- Try a few gentle stretches or yoga to loosen stiff joints
- Take a warm bag or take a relaxing bath
- Try to take enough rest and keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water
- Talk to your doctor and explain the situation to him or her
- You should massage sore joints gently with coconut oil as it provides great relief
If you stay active, it will help improve your blood flow and reduce pain.
When should you visit a doctor
Joint pain during periods is generally common, but there is a time when a healthcare provider’s intervention is necessary when the pain continues beyond the periods, when the pain prevents daily activities from being done, or when the pain seems to be increasing in intensity.
An example of a more severe condition will be which shows persistent swelling, redness, or pain that does not subside with the use of home treatment; this may be linked to some form of a more serious underlying joint condition, most probably arthritis.
Such intense recurring pain in the joints during periods or with other PMS symptoms definitely calls for a doctor's advice on possibly hormone imbalances or autoimmune disorders. It is also advisable to consult a health expert if you've been regularly using nonprescription analgesics for pain relief.
Summary
Joint pain during periods is more common than we might think, thanks to hormonal changes, prostaglandins, and inflammation. While it often affects the knees, hips, and lower back, the discomfort usually eases after the first few days. We can manage mild joint pain with stretching, rest, and pain relief methods at home. But if the pain feels unusual or too intense, don’t hesitate to reach out to a doctor. Understanding your body is the first step toward feeling better every cycle.
References
1. https://medlineplus.gov/menstruation.html
2. https://womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/premenstrual-syndrome
3. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/4/1191
4. https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6874-14-14