Why Osteoarthritis Finds Women More Often After 50 and A September Review Traces the Hormone Link and the Gaps
By: Alena Wiese
A peer-reviewed review published Sept. 11, 2026, pulls together evidence linking menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause to a woman’s risk of osteoarthritis. It also points out how little is known about whether those factors should change treatment, which is why first-line, non-surgical care still matters.
A woman in her early 50s may first notice it in small ways. Her fingers feel stiff when she twists the lid off a jar. Her knees protest after a long drive home on Interstate 4. She may wonder whether the aches are just part of getting older, part of menopause, or something she can do something about.
The honest answer is that it can be all three. Women are more likely than men to have osteoarthritis, and researchers increasingly link that gap to sex hormones across a woman’s lifetime, including the menopause transition. But the same research makes clear that the main tools for managing osteoarthritis, including exercise, weight management and education, remain the first steps for women and men alike.
On Sept. 11, 2026, the International Journal of Molecular Sciences published a review by researchers from the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Keele University and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom. It examined osteoarthritis risk from a woman’s first period through menopause and concluded that a strong body of evidence links sex-hormone-regulated processes across the female life course with increased osteoarthritis risk.
Are Women Really More Likely to Get Osteoarthritis Than Men?
Yes. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis of national survey data found that the age-standardized prevalence of diagnosed arthritis was 20.9 percent among women compared with 16.3 percent among men. Overall, 53.2 million U.S. adults reported diagnosed arthritis, and nearly half of them were 65 or older.
The National Institutes of Health puts the pattern plainly on its osteoarthritis page: women are more likely than men to have osteoarthritis, especially after age 50.
Source: Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis, United States, 2019 to 2021, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2023.
What Did the New Review Find About Menopause and Women’s Joints?
The review found that milestones across a woman’s life, from menarche to pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause, are tied to osteoarthritis risk through hormones, biomechanics, immune and metabolic function, and pain pathways. The authors searched medical databases through July 2026.
Among the findings, the review highlights from earlier studies:
- After age 50, women consistently have higher osteoarthritis incidence, more severe disease, and higher rates of joint replacement than men.
- More than 70 percent of women experience musculoskeletal symptoms during the menopause transition, and 25 percent are disabled by them.
- In one cohort, women reporting five or more births had a 2.6-fold higher adjusted risk of new radiographic knee osteoarthritis, and a 2.7-fold increase in knee replacements over 30 months compared with women reporting one birth.
- Females have roughly a 2 to 6 times higher incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury than males, and about 20 percent of people develop moderate to severe radiographic osteoarthritis within 10 years of an ACL injury.
The review also states that women show poorer responses than men to both surgical and non-surgical musculoskeletal treatment.
Source: A Thematic Narrative Review of Osteoarthritis Risk Factors Across the Female Life Course, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, September 2026.
What Can This Review Not Prove?
It does not tell a woman that menopause caused her arthritis, or that any hormone treatment will prevent it. This is a narrative review, which gathers and interprets existing research rather than pooling data into new statistical estimates, and the figures it cites come from earlier studies with their own designs and limits.
Most of the associations described are just that: associations, not proof of cause. The authors note that much of the available mechanistic evidence concerns the knee, with comparatively less for the hip and hand, even though hand osteoarthritis is common in midlife women. Most important for patients, the review says little research has examined whether sex, menopausal status or hormonal factors change how well treatments work. That gap is a reason for curiosity in the exam room, not a reason to skip proven basics.
What Non-Surgical Options Should Women Ask About First?
Women should ask first about exercise, weight management and physical therapy, which the National Institutes of Health lists among core osteoarthritis treatments. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases notes that exercise can lower joint pain and stiffness and increase flexibility and muscle strength.
Other options the institute describes include braces or orthotics prescribed by a doctor, assistive devices such as canes and grip aids, and heat and cold therapies. Medications and surgery are reserved for select cases.
Source: Osteoarthritis, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, accessed September 2026.
How Does an Orlando Practice Evaluate Joint Pain in Women?
A careful evaluation starts with history: which joints hurt, when symptoms began, how they respond to activity, and where a woman is in the menopause transition. ReliefNow Laser Orlando, at 4170 Town Center Blvd., Suite 100, Orlando (407-857-6166), serves Orlando and Kissimmee across south Orange County and Osceola County. Its chiropractors are Dr. Jeff Shebovsky, Dr. Fernando Fernandez, and Dr. Kurt Virgin.
Dr. Jeffrey N. Shebovsky, DC, founded Orange Wellness in 1994 and holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College, where he graduated with honors. The practice lists arthritis and joint pain among the conditions it evaluates.
The need is large locally. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Orange County’s population at 1,528,002 as of July 2025, with women making up 51.4 percent of residents and 14.3 percent of residents 65 or older.
Conservative care is a reasonable starting point for many women with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. Some symptoms need a physician promptly: a hot, swollen joint with fever; several swollen joints with morning stiffness that lasts a long time, which can signal rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory condition that is also more common in women; unexplained weight loss; or pain after a fall that could mean a fracture, a real concern after menopause. Calf swelling and pain in one leg need emergency care.
When progress is tracked, it should be in terms a woman recognizes from her own week: how long she can walk, whether stairs feel easier, whether she can open that jar, and how pain scores change over time. When advanced damage and declining function persist despite consistent care, a referral to an orthopedic specialist is the appropriate next step.
For many women, midlife is when the body starts asking new questions. The research is finally starting to ask them too, and until it has fuller answers, steady movement, good information, and a thorough evaluation remain a practical place to begin.
ABOUT: Dr. Jeffrey N. Shebovsky, DC | ReliefNow® Laser Orlando | 4170 Town Center Blvd., Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32837 | 407-857-6166
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any treatment program.
