It starts with a twinge. Then a dull ache. Maybe it’s your shoulder, or your knees, or your hands. You tell your provider that it hurts, that something doesn’t feel right. But the X-rays are normal. The MRI doesn’t show much. So you’re told to stretch, take ibuprofen, or wait it out. If you’re a woman, especially in midlife, this story might feel all too familiar.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: **women’s joint pain is often dismissed**, minimized, or misdiagnosed—especially when it doesn’t show up clearly on imaging. For women in perimenopause or menopause, this is compounded by hormonal shifts that change how pain is perceived and how tissues respond to load, inflammation, and healing.
A 2022 article in *The Lancet Rheumatology* highlighted sex and gender disparities in musculoskeletal care, noting that women report more pain but receive less aggressive treatment. Conditions like frozen shoulder, patellofemoral pain, and tendonitis are often chalked up to ‘stress’ or ‘normal aging’ instead of being taken seriously.
Read the article on gender disparities in musculoskeletal pain
At Form & Function Orthopaedics, we don’t just treat the MRI—we treat the human. We recognize that the absence of a structural tear doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real. In fact, many midlife musculoskeletal complaints are *hormonally mediated* and occur at the cellular or microvascular level, outside the scope of what traditional imaging can detect.
We ask different questions: Are you sleeping? Are your cycles changing? Are you on hormone therapy? Have you noticed a decline in recovery or increased stiffness in the morning? These aren’t ‘soft’ questions.
They’re clinically relevant.
We also advocate for integrative treatments—like PRP, laser therapy, peptides, and customized strength programming—to address the *why*, not just the *what*. Pain isn’t just a signal. It’s a story. And too many women have been told their story isn’t worth reading.
If you’ve been told your joint pain is ‘nothing,’ I want you to hear this: **you are not crazy, and you are not alone.** You deserve a provider who listens, believes you, and partners with you.
Learn more about our hormone-informed approach to orthopedic care at Form & Function Orthopaedics.
Citation: Wluka AE, et al. Gender disparities in musculoskeletal pain and care. Lancet Rheumatol. 2022;4(11):e735-e743. doi:10.1016/S2665-9913(22)00171-1
