A game board with a blue section indicating different phases of menopause: premenopause, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Two pushpins are on the board, one on the menopause stage and one on perimenopause, with a small black dumbbell-like object nearby.

Menopause & Perimenopause

Balance your hormones. Restore vitality. Redefine what this stage of life feels like.

Menopause and perimenopause can bring profound changes to energy, mood, metabolism, sleep, cognition, and sexual health. While these transitions are natural, suffering is not.

At HealthSpan Internal Medicine in Boulder, Colorado, Dr. Jessica Knape provides personalized, precision-based care to help women move through this transition with clarity, balance, and confidence — not survival mode.

🌿 What Happens in Perimenopause & Menopause

Hormone fluctuations can disrupt nearly every system in the body. Many women experience:

  • Hot flashes, night sweats

  • Mood changes or anxiety

  • Brain fog and memory lapses

  • Fatigue or sleep difficulties

  • Weight gain, especially around the abdomen

  • Low libido or sexual discomfort

  • Irregular, heavy, or painful cycles

These symptoms are real, valid, and often reversible when hormones and underlying metabolic patterns are addressed — not dismissed.

🧪 Precision Testing & Personalized Hormone Care

At HealthSpan, evaluation goes beyond basic screening labs.

Your assessment may include:

  • Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone

  • Thyroid and adrenal function

  • Inflammation, nutrient status, metabolic markers

  • Genomic variants affecting hormone metabolism (optional)

Using this information, Dr. Knape creates personalized treatment plans, which may include:

  • Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT)

  • Nutrient repletion and supplementation

  • Sleep, mood, and stress regulation strategies

  • Gut and metabolic support

  • Lifestyle guidance tailored to your unique physiology

Dosing is precise, safe, and adjusted over time — based on your body’s response.

👩‍⚕️ A Comprehensive, Integrative Approach

Menopause is not just a hormonal shift — it is a whole-body and whole-life transition.

Care at HealthSpan is designed to support:

  • Cognitive clarity

  • Metabolic balance and weight stability

  • Emotional resilience

  • Sexual wellness

  • Bone and cardiovascular health

  • Long-term vitality and healthy aging

The goal isn’t short-term symptom relief — it’s long-term optimization of healthspan.

🧬 Clinical Genomics When Needed

For women with complex histories, family risk, or hormone sensitivity, clinical genomics (IntellxxDNA®) helps identify:

  • Detoxification patterns

  • Inflammatory pathways

  • Hormone metabolism variants

  • Cognitive risk

These insights allow BHRT and lifestyle interventions to be safer, targeted, and more effective.

💪 Who Benefits from Hormone Optimization?

You may be a candidate if you experience:

  • Hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia

  • Fatigue, brain fog, or low mood

  • Weight gain or muscle loss

  • Vaginal dryness or painful intercourse

  • Loss of sexual desire

  • Osteopenia or cardiovascular risk

Whether symptoms are mild or disruptive, you deserve care that supports the whole person.

🩺 Why HealthSpan?

Dr. Jessica Knape brings together:

  • 20+ years of clinical experience

  • Dual board certification in Internal Medicine and Integrative & Holistic Medicine

  • Advanced training in functional medicine, genomics, and BHRT

Her approach is:

  • Personalized

  • Evidence-based

  • Root-cause oriented

  • Compassionate

  • Focused on whole-body restoration

Women consistently report feeling clearer, calmer, stronger, and more themselves again.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

➕ Is BHRT safe for menopause?

When prescribed and monitored correctly, bioidentical hormones are safe and may support cognition, bone health, and cardiovascular function.

➕ Do I need testing before treatment?

Yes — comprehensive labs help determine appropriate dosing and safety.

➕ How long before I feel better?

Many women notice improvements in 4–12 weeks, with continued gains over time.

➕ Can menopause symptoms improve without hormones?

Yes — some women benefit from supplements, peptides, nutrition, stress regulation, or lifestyle therapy alone.

For more details, visit our FAQ: Hormone Optimization & BHRT page.

🌿 You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

Menopause can be a powerful, transformative chapter — with support.

Let’s help your body adapt with clarity, strength, and ease.