Post-Menopause Pain and Injury: Why it Happens and How to Stay Resilient

Navigating Post-Menopausal Changes Without Giving Up Your Active Lifestyle

Lately, I’ve heard from far too many women in their 50s and 60s who have suffered a "freak" fall or a sudden injury. In fact, I fell twice myself this summer! In both instances, I was enjoying an easy section of a strenuous hike. Like many of the women I work with, I am active, strong, and capable, with good balance.

So why did I fall? (If you missed my deep dive on this, check out my previous post, [Active, Strong, and Still Falling? Here’s Why]).

When an unexpected injury happens, it’s natural to question your abilities, lose trust in your body, and ask yourself, "Am I just getting old?"

The answer is a resounding no, and you shouldn't settle for "yes" either. However, we do need to talk about what is happening biologically at this stage of life.

While hot flashes and sleep disruptions get most of the attention during menopause, other common symptoms are rarely discussed: increased joint stiffness, persistent muscle aches, and a feeling that you’re suddenly more prone to getting hurt.

If you’ve noticed that your knees ache more after a walk or a minor strain takes twice as long to heal, you aren't imagining it. Hormonal shifts directly change how your body handles physical stress.

The Biological Causes of Post-Menopausal Pain & Stiffness

1. The Estrogen Connection

Estrogen acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and maintains the integrity of your connective tissues.

• Joint Lubrication: As estrogen drops, synovial fluid decreases, leaving joints drier, stiffer, and more susceptible to inflammation (often referred to as menopausal arthritis).

• Collagen Production: Declining estrogen reduces collagen elasticity, making tendons and ligaments stiffer and more prone to micro-tears or strains.

2. Bone Density Shifts

During the first few years of menopause, women can lose up to 20% of their bone density. This rapid thinning increases the risk of fragility fractures: breaks caused by minor trips or bumps that your body would have easily brushed off a few years ago.

3. Age-Related Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)

Lower estrogen levels lower the rate of muscle protein synthesis. Even if you maintain your normal protein intake, your body becomes less efficient at utilizing it to maintain muscle mass. Because muscles act as shock absorbers for your skeletal system, losing muscle transfers direct impact onto your joints, ligaments, and bones.

Cultivating Resilience: Reclaiming Strength and Staying Active

These physiological changes are real, but they do not mean you are "getting old" or destined to live in pain. You simply need a refined strategy tailored to this season of life.

Wondering how I fared after my two trail falls? I walked away with just a couple of minor scrapes and a tiny bruise. I owe that entirely to my commitment to building a resilient body.

Here is the exact approach I use at Resilient Yoga Therapeutics to keep you active, safe, and thriving:

1. Build Functional Strength

Muscles are your body's primary shock absorbers. When I fell on my shoulder while hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park, the impact should have torn a tendon or fractured a bone. Instead, my muscular strength absorbed the force. Using targeted resistance (bands, weights, and body weight), we stimulate muscle growth to protect your joints and ligaments from heavy impact.

2. Hydrate Joints Through Movement ("Motion is Lotion")

Joints lack a direct blood supply; they rely on movement to receive nutrients and fluid. I love to say, "Motion is Lotion." Through therapeutic and somatic movements, we guide your joints through their healthy range of motion to hydrate tissue, clear out morning stiffness, and relieve joint discomfort.

3. Prioritize Mobility Over Flexibility

Flexibility is how far a muscle stretches; mobility is the ability to move a joint through its range of motion with control and strength. Somatic Yoga Therapy releases restricted layers of fascia and retrains the nervous system to let go of chronic tension, supporting your body through full movement without instability.

4. Regulate the Nervous System

Pain is heightened when the nervous system is stuck in a chronic "fight or flight" state, a common reaction to hormonal shifts. By integrating breathwork and restorative practices, we signal to the brain that it is safe to release protective muscle guarding, significantly reducing chronic aches.

5. Honor Your Recovery

Tissue repair takes longer than it used to, and that is perfectly healthy. Resilience requires adequate recovery: quality sleep, anti-inflammatory nutrition, hydration, and listening when your body asks for rest.

The Bottom Line

You aren't "getting old." You are navigating a distinct biological phase that calls for a smarter, more intentional approach to movement. By combining Functional Strength with Yoga Therapy, you can protect your joints, restore balance, and build a body that feels steady, strong, and capable.

Ready to feel confident in your body again?

If you’re struggling with joint stiffness, recovering from a fall, or feeling hesitant during your favorite activities, let’s build a personalized path forward.

Spring: Moving Out of the Quiet Season

Moving with Confidence

Living in San Diego, we don’t exactly have a "harsh" winter, but we definitely have a quiet season. We’ve spent the last few months nesting a little more. We’ve gazed at earlier sunsets, we’ve nourished our bodies with more soups and comfort foods, and maybe chose more often to snuggle in and watch a movie rather than going outdoors.

As we move towards spring and the sun begins to stay out longer, that natural urge to get back out there is returning. But if you’re navigating chronic pain or noticing your body is more sensitive now that you're over 40, it’s common to feel hesitant. It is hard to get excited about moving when you're worried about overdoing it or feeling unsure about what is actually safe for your body.

However, I want to ease your mind. We don’t want to push through the pain, but we don’t want to stop moving either. Instead, we want to meet your body exactly where it is today and show your nervous system it’s safe to move again. Consistent, gentle movement is what naturally lubricates our joints; it’s the best way to ease that stiffness felt when we’ve been less active for a while.

This month we are going to focus on taking that grounded feeling we gained through the winter and slowly build on it. Think of spring as a chance to let your body wake up at its own pace.

First Steps: A Few Small Ways to Ease Forward

1. The 5-Minute Somatic Check-In: Instead of jumping back in full-force with a 60-minute workout, start with 5-minutes of somatic inquiry. Lie on your back and simply notice where your body meets the floor. Slowly turn your head from side to side. Can you find a range of motion that feels like nourishment rather than effort?

2. Shift from Rest to Active Recovery: Instead of lying on the couch, try a gentle restorative yoga pose, such as “Reclined Butterfly” (scientifically known as Supta Baddha Konasana).

   Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together. Slowly let your knees fall open to the sides. Your legs will form a diamond shape. If your knees feel like they are "hanging" in space, place a firm pillow under each thigh. It’s a great pose for opening the hips and tells your nervous system that you are safe and supported.

3. Building Functional Strength: Once your nervous system feels safe enough to let its guard down, we can start building the support system your body needs to enjoy an active life. Functional strength training isn’t about aesthetics; although that’s a positive side effect, it’s about real life. It’s about having the leg strength to get up from the ground with ease, the grip strength to open a stuck jar, and the core stability to spend an afternoon in the garden without a backache the next morning. It is the foundation for long-term mobility and longevity.

   Taking it one mindful step at a time is how we build a foundation that lasts.

Speaking of moving... join my monthly Spring Community Hike!

Every 4th Sunday of spring, we explore the trails in North County San Diego together. It’s a way to get the body moving, meet your community, and find a little peace on the trails.

Upcoming Hikes:

• Sunday, March 22nd: Anne’s Descent Trail, San Elijo Hills

• Sunday, April 26th: The Way Up Trail, Elfin Forest

• Sunday, May 24th: Lakeview Trail, San Elijo Hills

Ready to move with more confidence?

I offer a Free 30-Minute Consultation to discuss your specific goals and see how a somatic approach can support your path to pain-free movement.

Integrated Movement Assessment: We’ll combine a deep conversation about your history with a physical assessment to identify your unique tension patterns and map out a path toward lasting ease.

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Tina van Hamersveld, C-IAYT, is a Yoga Therapist in San Elijo Hills specializing in chronic pain relief and longevity. Through somatic movement and functional strength, she helps clients over 40 move through the world with ease and rediscover the joy of an active life.

Winter Wellness: Staying Grounded

Nourishing Anti-Inflammatory Soup and Somatic Yoga for Joints

Even in sunny San Diego, the shift into winter brings new challenges that catch many of us off guard. We might still see the sun and feel its warmth during the day, but our bodies become sensitive to the shorter days and the sharp drop in temperature at night.

Whether you're noticing a new stiffness in your neck or a “scattered” feeling in your mind, this month is dedicated to grounding the nervous system through warmth and ease. We will be focusing on winter wellness with a bowl of nourishing anti-inflammatory soup and a joint-soothing somatic yoga sequence designed to bring you physical ease, no matter the temperature outside.

Nourishing Anti-Inflammatory Noodle Soup

This nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food for winter wellness. Made with turmeric, warming broth, and lemon zest, this is specifically designed to soothe inflammation and support your body from the inside out.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil 

4 medium carrots, sliced 

3 stocks celery, halved and sliced 

1 medium onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 tsp. Turmeric 

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or substitute 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme 

1 tsp. fresh Rosemary, chopped or substitute 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 

1/2 lemon zest and juice 

1 1/2 tsp. Salt 

1/2 tsp. black pepper 

1 bay leaf 

8 cups, chicken broth 

2-3 cups dry egg noodles 

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded 

2 to 3 tbsp. fresh parsley, optional 

Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion and saute for around 10 minutes until veggies are soft. 

3. And in garlic, turmeric, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.

4. Stream in chicken broth and add in 1 bay leaf and juice of 1/2 lemon. Stir to combine. 

5. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

6. Once a boil is reached, add in 2 to 3 cups of noodles and shredded chicken. Bring back to a boil, then cover and turn heat down to low. 

7. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pasta is soft. 

8. Remove from heat, taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle optional chopped parsley and shredded parmesan cheese on top. 

9. Enjoy!

Make it Vegetarian:

1. Substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth. 

2. Substitute rotisserie chicken with one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Add them to the pot when you add the uncooked pasta.

3. Add additional vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, etc. - optional but delicious and more nutritious. 

   
   Make it Gluten-Free: 

4. Cook gluten-free pasta in a second pot per package directions. (I recommend Bonza rotini made from chickpeas. It packs 20 g of protein and 8 g of fiber in a single serving.)

5. Drain and rinse the GF pasta.

6. Add the cooked GF pasta to the soup at the end when you are ready to eat. 

   
   **Note: If you plan to make enough for leftovers, I recommend cooking the noodles separately and adding them into individual bowls when you are ready to serve.

Ground yourself even more by connecting with nature and community.

Somatic Yoga: Joint Soothing Sequence for Neck, Shoulders, and Wrists

In the winter months, we tend to hunch against the cold, creating tension that settles deep in the neck and shoulders. Increased stress only adds to this physical tightness. This short somatic practice focuses on nervous system regulation and gentle mobilization for the neck, shoulders, and wrists. These movements release stiffness to create joint mobility and a lasting sense of calm.

I hope this anti-inflammatory soup and somatic yoga practice help you feel a bit more grounded as we move through the rest of the season. If you’re looking for more personalized support for joint mobility, metabolic health, or nervous system regulation, I invite you to book a free consultation so we can create a plan tailored to you.