Emma Mapp, a 52-year-old lawyer from Twickenham, developed a dull ache in her shoulder that within a month left her unable to raise her arm or turn her neck. She was eventually diagnosed with frozen shoulder, a painful stiffening of the shoulder joint, which her physiotherapist linked not to an injury but to the menopause — highlighting a lesser-known symptom that can significantly disrupt daily life and even social activities.

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, affects around a million people in the UK each year and occurs when the tissue capsule around the shoulder joint becomes inflamed and thickens, restricting movement. Experts say women aged 40 to 60 are most at risk, and a Duke University study of 1,952 women found those not taking HRT were 99 per cent more likely to develop the condition than those who were, since falling oestrogen levels can stiffen connective tissue and trigger inflammation in the joint.