Hormone Imbalance Could Play a Role in Arthritis

Although hormones sometimes get blamed for things they’re not responsible for, hormonal imbalances are actually at the root of many different health issues. Hormonal imbalances may even contribute to joint pain, swelling, and other symptoms of arthritis. Women are much more prone to arthritis-related joint pain than men, and recent studies have shown that fluctuating hormones in women may be contributing to this disparity. The drop in estrogen levels leading into menopause has been shown to increase the likelihood that women will suffer from arthritis pain, and researchers have looked at whether they can relieve joint pain and other symptoms of arthritis by raising estrogen levels—rather than having sufferers rely on pain medications that offer only temporary relief and can have harmful side effects. What they’ve found is that estrogen therapy may provide sustained relief for women who suffer from arthritis-related joint pain—relief that may last well past menopause. Read more…