I am also going through the same thing for the last year. I can barely walk in the morning with my toes feeling like they are being retracted towards the soles of my feet. Also, the outer sides of my feet burn during the day. I came to this website to see if these are menopausal symptoms and whether anyone knows of anything to help the condition.

Weight gain is NOT a sign of menopause. It is a sign of eating too much and exercising too little. Examine your diet and lifestyle. Your sore feet could be due to excess weight.


I suggest you also take a look at your shoes because they may pinch and the soles may be too hard. Many women are wearing shoes which are too small. Try on shoes at the end of the day and choose shoes that fit your larger foot.

I haven't had my period in over a year and haven't gained an ounce because I don't overeat and I walk a couple of miles a day with my dog. He loves it and I get the benefits. I also take dance.

...I forgot to answer your stiff hands issue... You may have carpal tunnel or a touch of arthritis. Be careful of taking "many vitamins". Too many can also cause problems.

Do some stretches for your hands each morning, try a little BenGay. My hands get stiff because I paint and sculpt. Sometimes I must wear a wrist brace if I get hints of carpal tunnel. Most women are spending far too much time online and not enough time moving their bodies - find a routine that works for you and stick to it.

I am having stiff hands and feet, too. This has nothing to do with weight gain or carpal tunnel. I don't know if it has anything to do with menopause, but I am going through menopause and stiff hands and feet, too. If I am on my feet for a while, it is fine, but if I sit for a while and then get up, it's worse. What else can cause this?

Do you exercise? Yoga is great for stiff joints...There are a lot of things that go on with the body during menopause. Some women have a more difficult time than others. Usually a lack of exercise will cause stiffness..Eat a healthy diet to control any weight gain.

It doesn't feel like my joints that are stiff - it feels like the muscles. I started exercising this summer. After about 15 minutes on the elyptical machine, my feet bother me and start to feel numb and inflexible. My hands get tired after a few minutes of doing something like writing.

I also have stiffness in my hands, lower legs and feet since I had a hysterectomy last winter. And, the sides of my feet ache. It's not the joints that ache. Sounds like the same symptoms. I walk or bike 4 or 5 times a week, but that hasn't helped. I take Estroven, an herb supplement. Hasn't helped.
It's nice to know I'm not the only one!

Runswithwolves, your reply is arrogant and self righteous. You may be fortunate not to be experiencing any symptoms but please don't assume that others who are, are over eating and under exercising. I am otherwise fit and healthy with a very healthy lifestyle but I too am suffering from stiff hands and feet since undergoing a total hysterectomy in May this year!

Hi - I had a hysterectomy about 6 months ago. A couple of months later, I started noticing how stiff I'd gotten - I work at a desk all day and it had gotten to where every time I stood up I felt like I was "unrolling" myself. Terrible aches all over. Plus suddenly very serious carpal-tunnel like symptoms, keeping me awake at night with extreme burning and tingling. I was pretty depressed - afraid that the aching was because I was getting "old" (at 4. I went to an orthopedic surgeon for a pre-existing issue with my shoulder (tendonitis) and as part of my therapy he gave me a one-month prescription for an anti-inflammatory. I don't know if it was coincidence or what, but the very severe aching has been gone ever since (months now). It did nothing for the carpal tunnel, but that also went away on its own a couple of months ago. (While I was suffering with the carpal tunnel, the VERY best thing I did was get those hand braces to sleep in - huge help.)

I imagine all this is hormone related (I'm not taking any hormone replacement), and just pleased that it all seems to have passed with time.