Posted on January 10, 2008 in Arthritis Basics
Morning joint stiffness is first experienced when you get-up in the morning. It is one of the initial signs of arthritis. Mainly joint stiffness results due to inflammation in the joints. Joint stiffness lasts only for few hours but makes your daily activities difficult.
Every morning do you face problem getting up from the bed? Not because you don’t want to leave your cozy and warm bed but you are experiencing pain and stiffness in your joints. If your answer is YES then you might be suffering from Morning Joint Stiffness. There are chances that you might consider morning joint stiffness as signs of aging and not as preliminary symptom of arthritis.
Morning joint stiffness can be described as stiffness and inflexibility experienced by the joints during morning. It is not necessary that joint stiffness occurs during morning, it might even occur during afternoon or evening. Generally it is seen that joint inflexibility lasts for 30 minutes but it might continue for hours also. Morning joint stiffness affects your day-to-day activities a lot, making it tough even to stand, bend, sit or rest. It is observed that joint stiffness not only obstructs your movement it also leads to body pain and aches.
Body Parts Affected By Morning Joint Stiffness:
It is observed that morning stiffness affects joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Stiffness could be experienced by any connective tissue of the body. Generally it is seen that joints of legs, knees, feet, hands, arms and wrist are highly susceptible to morning stiffness. But in few cases even back becomes prone to stiffness especially cervical spine, lumbar and thoracic region.
Symptoms of Morning Joint Stiffness:
There are number of signs and symptoms related to morning joint stiffness. Few of the symptoms are listed below.
- Rigidity or stiffness in the joints during morning
- Inflexibility in feet, legs, arms, finger and toe joints
- Pain or ache in legs, feet, arms and hands
- Insomnia
- Headaches especially starting at the bottom of the neck ending in the head
- Rigidity or stiffness in the neck, head and back
- Restricted motion
- Difficulty to extend affected joints completely
- Reoccurrence of stiffness either in evening or night
In case you observe any of the above symptoms then to get appropriate treatment consult your doctor immediately.
Causes of Morning Joint Stiffness:
The exact cause for morning joint stiffness is still unknown. It is considered that as you grow old, the tendons and ligaments of joints become overstretched and prone to wear and tear. The lubricating membrane of the joints also contracts and dries up hence making your joint movement restricted. Other possible causes for morning joint stiffness are
- Inflammation in the synovium of the joint
- Overuse of the muscles
- Inappropriate limb movement leading to stress
- Accumulation of the fluid in the joint
- Insufficient exercise
Factors that Aggravate Morning Joint Stiffness:
It is observed that there are certain factors which worsen the symptoms of morning joint stiffness. Few of the aggravating factors are listed below.
- Humid and cold weather
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders
- Stress and anxiety
- Over-exercising
Treatment for Morning Joint Stiffness:
It is observed that cold and heat is one of the most effective treatments for morning joint stiffness. Cold and heat treatment is highly beneficial in lessening the joint stiffness and pain. Cold reduces the swelling and relaxes the excited nerves whereas heat enhances the blood circulation. To relieve yourself from joint stiffness it is advisable for you to use hot packs every morning. For best results try to alternate cold and heat after every 5 minutes. It is even advisable to exercise daily, at least warm-up exercise before you start your daily activities.
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May 11th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Re morning joint stiffness — does exercise stimulate “synovial lubrication”?
November 4th, 2008 at 9:17 am
[...] According to the latest research study smoking cessation is effective in relieving from pain and stiffness associated to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). At the annual meeting of American College of Rheumatology in San Francisco researchers presented the evidences that smoking cessation relieves from RA symptoms. Generally people suffering from RA experiences joint inflammation, stiffness, tender joints and severe joint pain. [...]
May 4th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I am only 48 years old and am experiencing severe morning stiffness and pain! I have every symptom listed in the article EVERY morning. I am starting on a radical nutritional regime that I hope will help boost my health.