Role of yoga in alleviate musculoskeletal pain and balancing hormones in women with early menopause: a case study
Abstract
Early menopause, defined as the cessation of menstruation before the age of 45 years, affects up to 16.2% of Indian women and is linked to hormonal imbalance, musculoskeletal pain, psychological distress, and increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Yoga has emerged as a potential non-pharmacological approach for managing menopausal symptoms. This case study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured yoga therapy protocol in managing hormonal imbalance and musculoskeletal pain in a 42-year-old woman experiencing early menopause. The patient underwent a six-month yoga therapy program consisting of 50-minute sessions, five days a week, with practices adapted from the “Yoga Protocol for Women of Reproductive Age” and modified during active menstruation. After six months, oestradiol levels increased by 25.41% while follicle-stimulating hormone levels decreased by 39.28%. Pain reduction was observed in multiple joints, including the lower back (75%), hip (44.4%), knee (37.5%), heel (44.4%), and shoulder (28.6%), though no improvement was noted in elbow pain and body mass index showed only minimal change (1.49%). These findings suggest yoga therapy may serve as a safe, effective, and cost-efficient intervention for early menopause management, particularly for improving hormonal balance and alleviating musculoskeletal discomfort. However, as this is a single case report without a control group, further research with larger, controlled trials is necessary to confirm these results.
Keywords:
Early menopause, Yoga, Estradiol, Follicle stimulating hormone, Musculoskeletal Pain
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References
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2. Kundu S, Acharya SS. Exploring the triggers of premature and early menopause in India: a comprehensive analysis based on National Family Health Survey, 2019–2021. Scientific Reports. 2024;14(1):3040.
3. Shuster LT, Rhodes DJ, Gostout BS, Grossardt BR, Rocca WA. Premature menopause or early menopause: Long-term health consequences. Maturitas. 2010 Feb;65(2):161–6.
4. Lu CB, Liu PF, Zhou YS, Meng FC, Qiao TY, Yang XJ, et al. Musculoskeletal pain during the menopausal transition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neural Plasticity. 2020;2020.
5. Thasneem K, Kalarani IB, Jayaprasad P, Mohammed V, Veerabathiran R. Genes linked with early menopause and the pathogenesis of its associated diseases: a systematic review. Middle East Fertility Society Journal. 2022;27(1):2.
6. Ahuja M. Age of menopause and determinants of menopause age: A PAN India survey by IMS. Journal of Mid-life Health. 2016;7(3).
7. Mishra GD, Davies MC, Hillman S, Chung HF, Roy S, Maclaran K, et al. Optimising health after early menopause. Lancet (London, England). 2024 Mar;403(10430):958–68.
8. Bassuk SS, Manson JE. Oral contraceptives and menopausal hormone therapy: relative and attributable risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health outcomes. Annals of Epidemiology. 2015;25(3):193–200.
9. Vora, R., & Dangi A. Effect of Yoga on Menopausal Symptoms in the Early Menopausal Period: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Indian Journal of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy - An International Journal. 2014;3(8):49.
10. Thasneem K, Kalarani IB, Jayaprasad P, Mohammed V, Veerabathiran R. Genes linked with early menopause and the pathogenesis of its associated diseases: a systematic review. Middle East Fertility Society Journal. 2022;27(1):2.
11. Chung HF, Hayashi K, Dobson AJ, Sandin S, Ideno Y, Hardy R, et al. Association between endometriosis and type and age of menopause: a pooled analysis of 279 948 women from five cohort studies. Human Reproduction. 2025 Jun 1;40(6):1210–9.
12. Langton CR, Whitcomb BW, Purdue-Smithe AC, Sievert LL, Hankinson SE, Manson JE, et al. Association of oral contraceptives and tubal ligation with risk of early natural menopause. Human Reproduction. 2021 Jun 18;36(7):1989–98.
13. Barbieri RL, McShane PM, Ryan KJ. Constituents of cigarette smoke inhibit human granulosa cell aromatase. Fertility and sterility. 1986 Aug;46(2):232–6.
14. Szeliga A, Calik-Ksepka A, Maciejewska-Jeske M, Grymowicz M, Smolarczyk K, Kostrzak A, et al. Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency—Our Current State of Knowledge. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021 Mar 5;22(5):2594.
15. Kerr NR, Booth FW. Contributions of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior to metabolic and endocrine diseases. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2022 Dec;33(12):817–27.
16. Gore MM. Anatomy and Physiology of Yogic Practices. 2017th ed. New Delhi: Mlbd Publications; 2022. 264 p.
17. Swami Digamber PJ. Hathpradipika of Svatmarama. 2018. p. 241.
18. Brown EDL, Obeng-Gyasi B, Hall JE, Shekhar S. The Thyroid Hormone Axis and Female Reproduction. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023 Jun 6;24(12):9815.
19. Ring M. An Integrative Approach to HPA Axis Dysfunction: From Recognition to Recovery. The American Journal of Medicine. 2025 Jun;
20. Mbiydzenyuy NE, Qulu LA. Stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and aggression. Metabolic Brain Disease. 2024 Jul 31;39(8):1613–36.
21. Turakitwanakan W, Mekseepralard C, Busarakumtragul P. Effects of mindfulness meditation on serum cortisol of medical students. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihetthangphaet. 2013 Jan;96 Suppl1:S90-5.
22. Kovács BP, Balog J, Sebők B, Keszthelyi M, Várbíró S. Unlocking Female Fertility with a Specific Reproductive Exercise Program: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trail. Life. 2024 Dec 27;15(1):18.
23. Mittal G, Pathania M, Bhardwaj P, Dhar M, Khapre M, Mittal S. An Exploratory Randomised Trial to Assess the Effect of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama as an Adjunct Versus Standard Non-pharmacological Management in Hypertensives. Annals of Neurosciences. 2025 Apr 14;
24. Arora S, Bhattacharjee J. Modulation of immune responses in stress by Yoga. International Journal of Yoga. 2008;1(2):45.
25. Jorge MP, Santaella DF, Pontes IMO, Shiramizu VKM, Nascimento EB, Cabral A, et al. Hatha Yoga practice decreases menopause symptoms and improves quality of life: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2016 Jun;26:128–35.
26. Woodyard C. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. International Journal of Yoga. 2011;4(2):49.
27. Krishna D, Deepeshwar S, Devi B. Yoga-Based Relaxation Technique Facilitates Sustained Attention in Patients with Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study. Advances in mind-body medicine. 2020;
28. Colgrove Y, Gravino-Dunn N, Dinyer S, Sis E, Heier A, Sharma N. Physical and physiological effects of yoga for an underserved population with chronic low back pain. International Journal of Yoga. 2019;12(3):252.
29. Esposito G, Ceruso R, Invernizzi PL, Manzi V, Raiola G. Effects of Stretching and Resistance Training on Psychophysical Awareness: A Pilot Study. Applied Sciences. 2025 Jul 24;15(15):8259.
30. Zvetkova E, Koytchev E, Ivanov I, Ranchev S, Antonov A. Biomechanical, Healing and Therapeutic Effects of Stretching: A Comprehensive Review. Applied Sciences. 2023 Jul 26;13(15):8596.
31. Vijayaraghava A. Effect of Yoga Practice on Levels of Inflammatory Markers After Moderate and Strenuous Exercise. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH. 2015;
32. Gupta S, Gautam S, Kumar U, Arora T, Dada R. Potential Role of Yoga Intervention in the Management of Chronic Non-malignant Pain. Anand V, editor. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2022 May 28;2022:1–15.
33. Gupta S, Gautam S, Kumar U, Arora T, Dada R. Potential Role of Yoga Intervention in the Management of Chronic Non-malignant Pain. Anand V, editor. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2022 May 28;2022:1–15.
Published
30/11/2025
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Tripathi, C., B. D. V R, and K. Dwivedi. “Role of Yoga in Alleviate Musculoskeletal Pain and Balancing Hormones in Women With Early Menopause: A Case Study”. International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol. 6, no. 2, Nov. 2025, pp. 1-7, doi:10.46797/ijacm.v6i2.744.
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