How Does Menopause Affect Bone and Joint Health?

This episode, hosted by sports medicine surgeon and OrthoInfo Editor-in-Chief Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, FAAOS, helps listeners understand how menopause impacts women’s bone and joint health. It teaches listeners about the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, a term used to describe common bone and joint issues — including frozen shoulder, loss of muscle mass and bone density, and early-onset osteoarthritis — related specifically to the sharp drop in estrogen during menopause. 

Jocelyn Ross Wittstein, MD, FAAOS, a nationally recognized expert and sports medicine surgeon at Duke University Medical Center, provides her clinical insights and key research findings. The discussion highlights the importance of collaboration between orthopedic surgeons and women’s health professionals; proactive strategies for osteoporosis prevention (yes, you can prevent it!), including specific dietary changes and exercises; and how women can self-advocate to ensure that their symptoms are treated holistically rather than being written off as normal aging or treated as isolated structural issues. 

Host: Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, FAAOS, 

Guest: Jocelyn Ross Wittstein, MD, FAAOS,