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Hormonal Health: Life And Balance Through Perimenopause & Menopause
PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL SYNDROME OF MENOPAUSE (MSM)
The journey through perimenopause and menopause is a significant transition that affects much more than just the reproductive system. The drop in estrogen impacts your entire musculoskeletal system, leading to new challenges in strength, mobility, and pain management.
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At Lab Health Physio, we look beyond the common symptoms to treat the underlying physical changes so you can maintain the Life And Balance (LAB) you love. We offer evidence-based programs designed to keep you active, strong, and confident through this exciting phase of life.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHANGING BODY
​The decline in estrogen reduces its protective effects on your bones, joints, and muscle tissue. This hormonal shift can manifest as a collection of symptoms we call the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause (MSM):
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New or Increased Joint Pain: Stiffness and pain (arthralgia) in areas like the neck, shoulders, hands, and knees, often without a specific injury.
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Rapid Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia): A noticeable decrease in muscle mass and strength, leading to reduced metabolism and functional decline.
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Accelerated Bone Loss: The increased risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, making bone-loading and safe movement critical.
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Balance & Posture Changes: Shifts in weight distribution and muscle strength that can increase the risk of falls.​
Ready to Reconnect with Your Strength?
How Lab Health Physio Can Help
Our one-on-one physiotherapy approach focuses on active rehabilitation and education to mitigate the physical effects of hormonal change, specifically addressing your non-pelvic floor related concerns.
1. Bone Density & Osteoporosis Management
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The Science: We apply the principle of Wolff's Law —using specific, monitored load—to signal your bones to rebuild.
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The Treatment: Personalized, progressive Strength Training Programs focused on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses) to increase bone mineral density in high-risk areas like the hips and spine. We teach safe lifting mechanics and modify exercises to protect joints while maximizing bone-building stimulus.
2. Strength and Metabolic Health
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The Science: Muscle is metabolically active. Preserving or gaining lean muscle mass is the best defence against the hormonal slowdown of your metabolism and the risk of visceral fat (belly fat) accumulation.
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The Treatment: Focused programs utilizing resistance training to build functional strength and increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR). We work with you in our fully equipped gym spaces in our Esquimalt & James Bay spaces or the Esquimalt pool for low-impact strengthening.
3. Pain and Stiffness Relief
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The Science: We utilize hands-on techniques to restore mobility and reduce the sensitivity of your joints and muscles.
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The Treatment: Combining Advanced Manual Therapy (joint mobilization) with techniques like IMS/Dry Needling and Acupuncture to directly address muscle guarding, trigger points, and generalized arthralgia (joint pain).
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Specialized Appointments
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Women's Middle Life Health Appointments: Meet with a physio informed in many things MENOPAUSE related. Get a chance to be fully heard and listened and then learn what you need to know about your specific body and options available to make this transition more empowering. Education and exercises are specifically curated to be bone-loading, muscle-building, and joint-friendly for this stage of life.
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Don't let hormonal shifts dictate your activity level. Let us provide the education and evidence-based exercise "medicine" you need to navigate this transition feeling strong and balanced.
