Stiff and achy in the mornings? Here's how to fix this.
Rusty old hinges tend to get locked in place if they sit unused for an extended period of time. The same concept applies to your joints. That’s why your first steps in the morning after hours in bed might seem a bit awkward. The same sensation hits after binge-watching TV shows from the couch or sitting in the car during a long road trip.
So, why do your joints stiffen up? And is there a point when that feeling is a sign of a bigger concern? A Zanskar rheumatologist has your answers.
What causes morning stiffness?
Joints need lubrication to operate smoothly. Your joints come with a natural lubricant known as synovial fluid. This viscous fluid fills the meeting space between bones. The slippery substance allows for smooth movement within your knees, elbows and other joints.
The more you move around, the more this fluid circulates in your joints to keep everything gliding, says our expert.
But when you rest, that lubricant sits and thickens. The next time you move around, those joints don’t immediately operate quite as efficiently as they did earlier. That resulting “stiff” feeling remains until the fluid thins and starts recirculating.
This phenomenon is sometimes called “morning gel” in reference to how synovial fluid stiffens like gelatin when allowed to rest.
Can ‘morning gel’ signal a joint issue?
Experiencing some joint stiffness after inactivity is natural at any age. But as you get older, the feeling may become more common and linger a little longer given decreases in your synovial fluid.
Still, that creakiness should disappear relatively quickly after you start moving around.
But if that joint stiffness is prolonged, it may signal:
• Osteoarthritis, the common arthritis people may experience with age. “It tends to become more problematic as people get older,” notes our expert. “The effects can also be accelerated by injuries, too, such as from years of playing sports.”
• Inflammatory arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis that involve an overactive immune system.
Role of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D plays a key role in bone and joint health and is an important nutritional aspect of taking care of these parts of your body. That said, being deficient in vitamin D can cause joint pain, stiffness, and other symptoms even in people who do not have arthritis. For people who do have forms of arthritis, vitamin D plays a role in helping them manage morning stiffness.
Dealing With Morning Stiffness
You can manage morning stiffness with changes in your daily routines or lifestyle habits. You can also talk to your doctor about specific treatments that might help, depending on the type of arthritis you have.
You can also cope with morning stiffness from arthritis by:
• Supporting your joints while you sleep (for example, with pillows or braces)
• Taking a hot shower first thing in the morning to relax your joints and muscles
• Doing these simple stretching exercises before you get out of bed:
- Child’s Pose
- Spinal Twist
- Overhead shoulder stretch
FAQs
• Why do I have stiff joints in the morning?
- Stiff joints in the morning can be due to OA, RA, or joint aging.
- OA stiffness generally lasts for less than half an hour. RA can make joints stiff for hours. Stiffness from aging usually lasts for 15 minutes or less.
• How do I prevent muscle stiffness in the morning?
- Keep yourself warm, do some simple stretches, make sure your joints are supported while you sleep, and try showering first thing in the morning.
- Depending on the cause of your stiffness, your doctor may be able to prescribe medication to help.
• Why do I have shoulder pain after waking up in the morning?
- Morning shoulder pain has several possible causes, including Inflammatory arthritis, OA, shoulder impingement, rotator cuff injury, or sleeping in an awkward position.
- Depending on the cause of your stiffness, your doctor may be able to prescribe medication to help.
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Medical Review: This article is written by Dr Nishtha Mittal (Senior Health Content Editor at Zanskar Health) and has been medically reviewed by Dr Rashi Goel (Senior Physiotherapist at Zanskar Health). This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.
