Menopause is a normal part of life for those born with a uterus. It signals a period of time where you no longer experience menstruation, and pregnancy is no longer possible.
There is a lot of misleading information and negativity surrounding menopause, but this part of life doesn’t have to be clouded in mystery or myths—nor does it need to be “taboo” in any way!
Your health matters. Don’t let menopause symptoms disrupt your quality of life! You can receive treatment and begin at-home strategies to support better health, comfort, and happiness. To better manage your symptoms, you’ll need to first understand them.
Menopause can actually cause a wide variety of symptoms, which we’ll discuss below!
Symptoms of Menopause
In order to understand the symptoms of menopause, it may help to understand what happens during this process. So, what actually is menopause?
What Happens During Menopause
Menopause refers to when the ovaries no longer produce hormones, which are what signal menstruation and allow for pregnancy. It is a turning point that you reach when you haven’t experienced menstrual bleeding for 12 consecutive months.
Menopause doesn’t necessarily refer to a period of time or something that happens suddenly. In reality, your body will first go through perimenopause, which is the period of time leading up to menopause where hormone production slows and your periods become less frequent and lighter. This can take several months to several years.
Perimenopause is also the period of time that symptoms may first begin to show slowly as your ovaries produce less and less hormones. Once your menstruation completely ceases, you’ll have achieved menopause, and will then enter the postmenopause stage of your life. At this point in time, your symptoms may be more noticeable.
Although menopause symptoms and their severity can vary from person to person, they can often be disruptive and frustrating.
Hot flashes, trouble with sleeping, and mood changes are just the start of the symptoms you may have heard about. In reality, a reduction in hormones significantly impacts a lot of your body’s systems.
You’ll experience musculoskeletal changes such as effects to your posture, bone density, joints, and balance. For many, sex and pelvic exams may become uncomfortable or painful, as vaginal tissues often become less elastic, weak, and dry due to the lack of estrogen during this time period.
Another major area that is impacted by this hormone reduction is your pelvic floor.
Menopause Symptoms That Involve Your Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor refers to a group of muscles within the pelvis. Not everyone knows about their pelvic floor, but this important group of muscles support many everyday activities! Using the restroom, enjoying sex, lifting objects, climbing stairs, and many other daily tasks are supported and allowed by the pelvic floor.
Unfortunately, the pelvic floor is significantly impacted by the reduction of hormones associated with menopause. These muscles can become weak, and may strain during their usual functions. This can lead to a higher risk of pelvic organ prolapse, as well as a variety of urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunctions. You can explore more of these symptoms on the menopause page.
Managing Menopause Symptoms
While it is true that these symptoms can be very disruptive to daily life, they don’t have to be! There are many ways to better manage symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.
Before we jump into at-home strategies, it’s important to note that the changes associated with menopause are not always something that can be solved with at-home lifestyle changes and exercises.
These strategies can make a very big difference in your quality of life and symptom management of course, but certain factors that affect your fall risk or risk of prolapse should be addressed by a professional.
Many sources will tell you to do kegels to solve all your menopause-related pelvic floor problems, but in reality, kegels are not always the answer—despite the hype they receive. Kegels can be helpful and appropriate for some, but they may actually worsen your symptoms if done incorrectly or if your pelvic floor is already struggling with tension or overactivity.
A pelvic floor physical therapist (like me!) can help support your perimenopause and menopause journey through curated treatment and health strategies. Everyone’s needs, body, and menopause experience will vary.
What your body needs and what someone else’s body needs during menopause can vary greatly. With the support of an experienced professional, you’ll be able to better plan for symptom management in the long term!
I always create individualized and holistic plans of care for my patients! Through physical therapy, we can ensure your pelvic floor is in great condition and that your muscles and joints are strong and flexible. With a comprehensive treatment approach, you’ll be ready to get back to doing what you love and living with better comfort.
I accept patients of all ages and gender identities. I also provide both virtual and in-person sessions! If you’d like to get started by working with me, feel free to make an appointment!
Now, let’s take a look at some at-home strategies most individuals can use to better manage their menopause symptoms…
At-Home Menopause Strategies
The examples below are a few lifestyle changes or activities you can integrate into your daily life to better support overall health, safety, and comfort as you enter perimenopause or postmenopause.
Exercise
You have probably heard many resources tell you to exercise to help your menopause symptoms, and that’s because it is one of the best ways to support better health! Exercise can help your body regulate its temperature better, which can reduce the frequency of hot flashes, and can help you get a better night’s sleep.
Most importantly, your body will be much more prone to core weakness, joint stiffness, and lower bone density. All of these aspects can increase your fall risk, so exercising regularly to maintain muscle balance and strong joints is of utmost importance.
Diet Changes
At any point in your life, having a balanced diet full of nutrients is essential for good health. When it comes to menopause, watching what you eat can help you manage your symptoms and support better overall health.
Not only can certain foods trigger menopause symptoms—such as spicy food or alcohol—but eating the right nutrients can really help support your body’s functions as you adjust to having less hormones.
Once your body stops producing the level of hormones it once had, nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and protein become very important aspects of your diet in order to support muscle, bone, and heart health. For the best nutritional advice in regards to your body’s unique needs, you should work with a dietitian or nutritionist.
Relaxation Techniques
Menopause can be a stressful time. Experiencing new symptoms, bodily changes, and mood swings can understandably make life a bit frustrating. To help better manage feelings of stress, anxiety, fatigue, and more, some individuals may find relaxation strategies helpful.
Engaging in yoga, breathing techniques, and other self-care activities can help reduce irritability and improve your overall attitude.
Creating a plan for a consistent sleep schedule can also help improve energy levels and mood, as sleep is an essential part of overall health. Find more tips and strategies about relaxation and finding your calm with this free health guide: Restore Your Dysregulated Nervous System. You can find more freebies and health guides here!
At-Home Menopause Products
Below are some recommendations for products that may further support your body’s health and comfort as you manage menopause symptoms!
Vaginal Moisturizers
Vaginal moisturizers are exactly what they sound like: special creams that help supply moisture back into the delicate external tissues around the vagina (or the entire vulva).
Remember earlier when I mentioned how menopause can cause drier, thinner, less elastic vaginal tissue? These effects can unfortunately cause significant discomfort in your day to day life.
By using a vaginal moisturizer, you can support healthier skin and reduce your symptoms of irritation. These will help provide not just better comfort overall, but can also make intercourse less painful as the vaginal tissues are less irritated and better able to handle friction.
Here are two moisturizers I recommend for managing these uncomfortable menopause symptoms:
Vaginal Dilators
The vagina doesn’t just become dry, thin, and less elastic during menopause. The pelvic floor muscles around the vaginal canal may become weakened, and as a result the vaginal canal may shrink and become narrow (known as vaginal atrophy). These effects can make sexual intercourse very uncomfortable, unpleasurable, or even painful.
Don’t let menopause stop you from having a fulfilling and pleasurable sex life! Vaginal dilators can help prevent vaginal atrophy and support better long-term vaginal health by encouraging tissue flexibility and overall health.
Or, if you aren’t sexually active, dilation can still help make routine pelvic exams more comfortable. You can learn more about dilation here!
You can also find all of my recommended dilation tools here.
Reading Resources for Menopause
Menopause and perimenopause can be a confusing and frustrating time for many. I try to provide a lot of information on my blog, but here are some other very useful sources I would recommend for learning more about this new part of your life:
These books are fantastic resources for learning about what is happening in your body, as they provide professional and factual information that is clear, easy to understand, and very relatable!
And again, I highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist to support this new and difficult time in your life. While not everyone will be able to see me, I still want to provide helpful information on how to find a pelvic floor physical therapist that is right for you—so I wrote this Ebook all about exactly that, called How to Get the Most Out of Pelvic Floor Therapy.
This resource shares a ton of information about what to expect from pelvic floor physical therapy, how to find a provider for your needs, and whether physical therapy is really right for you! I hope you enjoy it.
This blog may contain links to affiliate products recommended by Dr. Laura Meihofer. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Laura will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated!
