world menopause day - 18th oct 2026

This World Menopause Day (18 October), the International Menopause Society is shining a light on chronic pain at midlife, an issue that affects many women during and after the menopause transition and is too often underestimated or dismissed. One of the most common, and most frustrating, forms it takes is shoulder pain. It can creep in quietly, with a stiff reach for a coat or a restless night spent avoiding one side, and gradually become a daily struggle. In this guest blog, acupuncturist specialist Danny Maxwell explores why the shoulder is so often affected around menopause, what traditional Chinese medicine calls the "50-year shoulder", and how acupuncture may help.

50-Year Shoulder’: How Acupuncture Can Help Chronic Menopausal Shoulder Pain

For many women in their forties and fifties, shoulder pain seems to appear almost out of nowhere. Perhaps it starts as a slight ache when reaching overhead … then putting on a coat becomes uncomfortable … then sleeping on one side becomes difficult. Gradually, the shoulder becomes stiffer and more painful, and movements that were previously effortless become surprisingly difficult. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), there is an intriguing name for this phenomenon: 五十肩 (wǔ shí jiān) — literally, '50-year shoulder’. The name reflects the fact that shoulder pain and particularly frozen shoulder are commonly seen around the menopausal years. Modern medicine is also increasingly interested in the relationship between menopause, declining oestrogen and changes in the tissues of the shoulder.

Why shoulder problems around menopause?

Modern medicine is beginning to shed light on why this may happen. Oestrogen has important effects on connective tissue, including the production of collagen, the structural protein that gives tendons and joints their strength and resilience (https://tinyurl.com/ycyzh954). As oestrogen declines during and after menopause, changes occur in tendons, muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues. They start to ‘dry out’ and become less elastic - and therefore more easily injured. So the sudden appearance of shoulder pain around menopause may have a genuine biological basis.

The Chinese medicine perspective

The traditional Chinese medicine view of the menopausal transition is that as women move through middle age, vital substances in the body - yin and blood -  the moistening, nourishing aspects of the body gradually decline. In TCM theory, the tendons and joints depend on adequate nourishment from blood and yin, with the Liver and Kidney playing particularly important roles. When this nourishment becomes insufficient, the joints become more prone to stiffness, pain and slower recovery. The “50-year shoulder” therefore fits neatly into the broader Chinese medical understanding of the menopausal transition.

How can acupuncture help?

Acupuncture can address both the painful shoulder and the wider pattern associated with menopause (https://tinyurl.com/39mjds6e). Local acupuncture points can be used to reduce pain, improve circulation and encourage greater range of movement. Treatment may also include points intended to stimulate blood and yin and the Liver and Kidney, depending on the individual. Chinese herbal medicine is also an excellent way to support yin and blood and thereby promote recovery in the tight joints.

Daniel Maxwell (www.danielmaxwell.co.uk)