Pain in the foot does have a higher incidence after menopause. This study in a group of women in Spain looked at the foot-related quality of life issues surrounding menopause and found that, yes, there is a poorer quality of life-related to foot pain after menopause. There are a number of physiological changes during the ‘change of life’ that affect foot pain in menopause. These changes include:
- Changes occur to the properties of the soft tissues. For example tendons become stiffer and this increases the risk for injury to those types of structures.
- Osteoporosis is much more common after menopause to the changes in the different hormones. This makes the bones ‘softer’ and more likely to have a bone stress injury, a stress fracture or a fracture.
- there are changes to the hormone control of the small blood vessels and this can predispose to issues with the circulation as the circualtion reacts sluggishly and differently.
- After menopause, there is almost always in increase in weight. This increase puts more load on the foot and increases the risk for developing a wide range of foot problems.
Menopause on its own does not cause foot pain. It is the physiological changes that happen during menopause that increase the risk for a lot of different types of foot problems. We can help with those foot problems.
