Hormones and Hypermobility

Which hormones are involved?

What effect can hormones have on hypermobility?

Problems with Contraceptives?

Hormone replacement therapy?

The In both males and females the 24-hour changes in metabolic steroids may produce cyclical symptoms of pain and stiffness over a 24-hour period in joints but this is normally only a minor problem.

In most men, the predominant androgen hormones probably have very little effect on collagen though may increase muscle bulk around the joints. In most women, it is quite a different story!

Similar arguments apply to hormone replacement therapy. This normally involves a small amount of estrogen to which a progestogen is added where the uterus is intact. Since the estrogen amount is very small (deliberately so in view of the slight increased risk of breast cancer when estrogens are given to the elderly as well as the risk of thrombosis), the amount of estrogen is often not enough to provide a protective effect for the joints.