87: Fiona Lovely: The Perimenopause Symptoms Women Are Still Being Told to Ignore

Shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, hip pain, and plantar fasciitis can all show up during perimenopause, even when there was no obvious injury. And because these symptoms are rarely connected back to hormones, many women assume they are simply getting older or doing something wrong.

We dive deeper into this in Hello Hormones with Dr. Carrie Jones with Dr. Fiona Lovely. We also chat about brain fog, memory changes, sleep apnea, blood sugar, HRT, and why "I don't feel like myself anymore" can be part of the perimenopause transition.

Dr. Fiona Lovely is a chiropractor, menopause educator, and host of Not Your Mother's Menopause. She has more than 20 years of clinical experience and is the creator of a menopause doula certification program.

What's Discussed:

(05:43) Why more women are recognizing perimenopause symptoms earlier and how younger women are starting to prepare before symptoms become disruptive.

(08:46) What the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause is and why joint, tendon, and muscle problems may become more common as estrogen declines.

(12:29) Why frozen shoulder can be an early sign of perimenopause, especially when shoulder pain appears without an obvious injury or trauma.

(14:31) How plantar fasciitis, unexplained hip pain, and glute pain may be connected to hormonal changes rather than simply aging or overuse.

(25:05) Why the conversation around HRT extends beyond hot flashes and includes brain, bone, and cardiovascular health.

(27:54) Why you can still be experiencing perimenopause even if you rarely or never have hot flashes or night sweats.

(40:31) What happens to the brain as estrogen changes, including shifts in blood flow, connectivity, metabolism, and areas involved in memory.

(45:51) Why brain fog, forgetting names, and losing your train of thought do not automatically mean you are developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.