12/08/2026
Rheumatoid arthritis and menopause are a challenging combination, yet far too many women are left to navigate both without the support or conversations they deserve.
The evidence is impossible to ignore:
🔷93% of women in the 2024 NRAS study said no member of their healthcare team had ever discussed menopause with them.
🔷80% reported worsening joint pain and stiffness during menopause, with 1 in 10 saying their symptoms became much worse.
🔷Post-menopausal women living with RA experience higher disease activity and faster declines in everyday function, affecting everything from walking to gripping
🔷Early menopause (before 45) is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Hormones don't just influence hot flushes and sleep. They also affect inflammation, muscle health, connective tissue, recovery and mobility. Yet menopause and musculoskeletal health are still too often treated as separate conversations.
Recent research has explored possible links between reproductive factors, HRT and RA risk. While these findings are important, they come from observational data and should not prevent women with RA from accessing HRT where it is clinically appropriate. As the British Menopause Society advises, women deserve personalised, holistic care.
As a Movement trained health/fitness professional, I have the privilege of helping bridge that gap.
My training has given me the knowledge and confidence to understand how hormonal changes affect women's physiology and how to adapt exercise safely and effectively-supporting women with complex conditions like rheumatoid arthritis to stay strong, mobile and independent throughout every stage of midlife and beyond.
✨Because movement is medicine—but only when it's informed.
💪🏻Every woman deserves to be heard, understood and supported
If you're navigating menopause, living with rheumatoid arthritis, or both, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Reach out, start the conversation, and let's create a plan that supports your body—not just your symptoms. 🩷