After menopause, women see their lower back pain suddenly worsen, which is not the case with men.
Women are victims of the proverbial double punishment. In addition to the serious symptoms of menopause, those who suffer from low back pain may see their pain multiply. A study carried out in China confirms this. Posted in Menopause, it shows that during this period, disc degeneration tends to worsen. Which is not the case with men.
The authors of this study compared the evolution of 1,500 women and 1,300 men, all treated for lumbar disc degeneration, confirmed by MRI. It is with the help of these images that the progression of their pathology was observed. A real disparity according to sex is emerging.
Before menopause, women seem rather advantaged. At the same age, their male peers are more often suffering from degeneration, and in a more severe way. But after this period, which is characterized by a sharp drop in sex hormone levels, the relationship is reversed.
Postmenopausal participants have more severe degeneration than men of similar age. These are therefore more painful. This disadvantage continues 15 years after the first signs of menopause. Before fading.
This sudden worsening could be explained precisely by the disappearance of certain hormones in women. With estrogen deficiency, record disorders worsen. The phenomenon is already known in certain pathologies.
Replacement hormones
Hormonal changes during menopause worsen the degenerative spondylolisthesis, explains the University of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin). In question, the modifications of the muscular tissues and ligaments induced by the hormonal variations.
According to the executive director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), these findings argue in favor of the use of hormonal treatments for menopause, when their prescription is justified. “Hormonal therapy could provide additional benefit for women suffering from menopausal symptoms by preventing this lumbar degeneration,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton.
A beautiful promise that may be difficult to apply. Currently, the use of these replacement treatments is extremely limited. In 2014, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) has recommended limiting their use to the most severely affected women for a limited period of time.
Three indications were therefore retained: management of disabling symptoms, prevention of osteoporosis in women at risk, and prevention of the risk of endometrial hyperplasia. A choice justified by the risks associated with these treatments. Several forms of cancer are favored by this treatment.
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