Morning pain is common with rheumatoid arthritis. Your joints may also feel stiff and pop or creak as you get out of bed. You might have trouble getting things done. It could take an hour or more for the pain and stiffness to ease up. But it doesn’t have to stop you.
With a few tips and tricks, you can manage mornings better.
Why You’re Achy in the Morning
During the night, your body releases anti-inflammatory chemicals to calm joint pain and stiffness. By morning, they’re no longer able to fight the chemicals that cause inflammation, so you wake up with stiff, painful joints.
What You Can Do
Get moving
The best thing you can do is to start moving. It increases blood flow to your joints and lubricates your joint surfaces.
Bend and straighten your knees. Rock from side to side to loosen your hips. But be careful if you’re in the middle of an active flare. Going too far may make it worse. Follow that with a few gentle stretches.
Take a walk. If you aren’t used to exercise, start with 5-10 minutes of easy walking. You can go longer or walk faster as your body gets used to it.
See a highly recommended physiotherapist. They can recommend specific exercises that help ease pain and stiffness.
Apply cold or heat
Ice packs can help ease swelling and pain long enough for you to start your day. You can pick up a gel-filled cold pack at the drugstore or discount store. But in a pinch, a bag of frozen peas make an easy-to-use pack that molds to the shape of the joint. Leave the ice pack on for 20 minutes at a time.
Heat can help loosen your joints and muscles. Choose moist heat over dry heat, which may work better for easing stiffness.A good way to get moist heat is to take a warm shower. Try a 10-minute shower with warm water.
To warm your hands, fill your sink with warm, soapy water. Move your hands around in the water. Try massaging them too. Or apply baby oil, then move and massage your hands.
Stay hydrated
Water is good for your joints. Fluids keep them lubricated, which wards off stiffness. Drink water regularly during the day. At night, put a glass of water on your nightstand so it’s easy to start sipping as soon as you wake up.
Custom Orthotics
Orthotics, which are custom-made medical devices that you insert into your shoes, can do a lot for your body. They can help correct problems with the alignment of the bones in your feet or take pressure off of certain areas. They’re also an effective tool for easing certain types of joint pain.
there are dozens of types of arthritis, and the most common type is osteoarthritis – whose symptoms may include joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. People who tend to get osteoarthritis are those who are involved in a sport and those who are getting older, as this is the wear-and-tear type of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis occurs from the wearing down of the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones in a joint. Dry needling is an effective treatment in reducing pain from osteoarthritis because it increases blood circulation around the joint, thereby providing natural relief.
If you have any questions about dry needling, physiotherapy treatment or would like to schedule a consultation, contact us today by calling us at 089 273 4307 or send me an email at don@donkellypainrelief.com
I look forward to helping you get back to the active lifestyle you enjoy!
TREATMENT PLAN
Here at Don Kelly Physiotherapy and Acupuncture clinic we have treated this very common condition very successfully in both our Limerick and Charleville clinics.
Phyio exercises and acupressure: This can be an ancient type of treatment that is comparable to acupuncture, but does not use needles. It applies pressure to particular pressure points which encourages blood circulation, relieves muscle tension, and triggers our body natural healing :
I have treated my patients with a 100% success rate. Armed with experience in the last 20 years of providing my physiotherapy services in Limerick and Charleville.
If you experience chronic pain, injuries, or advice for knee surgery and replacement please don’t hesitate to reach out. I have treated thousands of my patients with successful results over the last 20 years of my physio services.
BEFORE YOU SAY YES TO KNEE SURGERY REPLACEMENT– give me a ring for an assessment.
My treatment plan is the result of my experience and knowledge in treating chronic pains and injuries over the last 20 years. This is the holistic plan to guarantee pain relief, prevent recurring pains, and faster recovery.
