We often say that “I slept like a log the other night”. It just means that maybe you were so tired that you had a nice sound sleep and work up fresh in the morning. Sleeping like a log may sound peaceful, especially for those who suffer from sleeping disorders but feeling like a log when you wake up? NO! it is not a very pleasant feeling.
You may feel that it is your age that is catching up with you or you may even start finding faults with your mattress but morning stiffness may be an indication of something more serious. In this article, you can read more about morning stiffness. its causes, and the management options.
What Is Morning Stiffness?
According to the Dictionary of Rheumatic diseases, morning stiffness refers to a subjective complaint of localized or generalized, lack of easy mobility of joints upon arising (1). That means a person may complain of slowness or difficulty in moving their joints on waking up in the morning when getting out of bed (2).
The joints involved may vary from certain small joints like that of the fingers, toes, and wrist. It may advance to the larger joints like the knee, the shoulder, and the elbow. If not paid attention to in the earlier stages this localized stiffness may worsen and a person may start experiencing such stiffness throughout their body.
Many times, the stiffness may get better with movement. Along with stiffness, the person may even experience pain in their joints as well as reduced range of motion.
Causes of Morning Stiffness
For some morning stiffness may be a normal phenomenon but it is a common complaint of those suffering from arthritis. Arthritis is a condition in which the joints start showing signs of inflammation or swelling. This swelling may or may not be visible externally. The pain is due to this inflammation. There are different types of arthritis and morning stiffness is a common symptom of many of these types as follows.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
It is a non-inflammatory disease of the joints which means there is no swelling in the joints. Usually, the bones which form a joint have cartilaginous cushioning at the ends. OA involves damage to this cartilage due to wear and tear.
It may occur due to age, over a period of time or due to injury or infections. As a result, the lubricating synovial fluid made by the joints also decreases. This reduces the easy movements in the joints making one feel stiff. The morning stiffness in OA usually lasts for 15 to 30 minutes and eases once you start moving.
Long periods of staying still may also trigger stiffness throughout the day. The stiffness in OA is also called as gelatin phenomenon or “morning gel” as the joints stiffen like gelatin.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
It is an autoimmune kind of inflammatory arthritis in which the immune system of the body destroys the lining of the joint capsule. This lining thus becomes inflamed or swollen. Morning stiffness present for at least 6 weeks is one of the diagnostic criteria for RA (1).
While in severe cases the whole body is involved, it is the hands that are mainly affected in RA. Grip strength is also limited by pain (3). The stiffness may take an hour or maybe longer to ease and worsens with long resting periods.
Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
This also is an inflammatory and autoimmune type of arthritis, that is associated with a skin condition called psoriasis which causes red scaly patches on the skin. This condition may affect any joint of the body including fingers as well as the spine. The morning stiffness may range from relatively mild to severe form. The bad news is that usually there is no cure for this condition. The treatment is symptomatic and focuses on preventing joint damage.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
AS is another type of inflammatory arthritis that usually affects the spinal vertebrae causing them to fuse and limiting the motion of the back. It may even affect the hips and knees. In this type of arthritis, the complaint of stiffness is generally in the lower back and neck. The stiffness exaggerates with longer rest periods.
Certain other health conditions may also cause morning stiffness. These include thyroid disorders, deficiency of vitamin D, obesity, etc.
Related:
Frozen Shoulder : Risk Factors and Management
How to Manage Morning Stiffness?
Morning stiffness may become quite a debilitating condition if not managed in time. It not only affects your work but may also leave you feeling overworked and stressed the entire day. In such conditions, you may want to reschedule your important appointments a little later during the day as the symptom generally improves as the day progresses. Generally, there are two lines of management for morning stiffness.
Medication
Over-the-counter drugs can be used to relieve morning stiffness. It is advisable to consult your physician before taking any of these drugs. The physician will be able to diagnose whether your morning stiffness is due to arthritis or some other condition. He may even prescribe certain tests and scans after taking a complete history. He will then prescribe the drugs depending on the diagnosis.
The physician may even advice certain topical medications like ointments, creams, or gels that need to be applied to the affected joints externally several times a day. It may take a couple of weeks or months for the stiffness and pain to relieve by these medications, depending on the severity.
If the stiffness is due to vitamin D deficiency, supplements may be prescribed to get the blood levels of vitamin D back to normal in your body.
Non-drug Treatment Options
Certain herbal supplements including fish oil claim to relieve joint stiffness. It is however always advisable to consult your physician before using them.
Physical exercise is shown to reduce joint stiffness. Stretching may help loosen the joints and improve the range of motion. Practices like yoga and tai chi along with regular walking or swimming also claim to be useful in cases of morning stiffness. You can learn specific exercises from a physical therapist if arthritis is the cause.
Thermotherapy or application of heat in form of a hot shower, soaking in a hot water tub, or hot compression using heating pads improves blood circulation to the joints and helps relieve stiffness in the morning.
Stress also aggravates symptoms of arthritis-like morning stiffness. Controlling your stress levels by practicing breathing techniques and different types of meditations may help in reducing morning stiffness.
Mattress conditions may also worsen morning stiffness. If your mattress is very soft and not supportive it may lead to poor sleeping position and put a strain on your joints and muscles thus causing stiffness in the morning. Consider changing your mattress if this is the case.
Sleeping position is also important if you are suffering from morning stiffness. Make sure your sleeping position supports your joints. This may be difficult in the beginning but make conscious efforts to pay attention to your sleeping position as unsupported joints are more susceptible to stiffness.
The most important aspect of managing morning stiffness is identifying the underlying cause and treating it. This will not only relieve your stiffness but will prevent it from recurring too. Understand what works for you and your body. You may have to combine some of these management options to finally experience relief.
Remember age is just a number and not an excuse for ailments. Regular exercise and a proper diet can help in reducing the risk factors that cause various age and lifestyle-related diseases. Taking care of your body is in your hands and you only are responsible for keeping yourself healthy no matter at what age.
If the contents of this blog have helped you do let us know in the comment sections below.
Author: Dr Pooja Nilgar (Content writer and editor)
References
- Lineker, S.Y.D.N.E.Y., Badley, E.L.I.Z.A.B.E.T.H., Charles, C., Hart, L. and Streiner, D., 1999. Defining morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol, 26(1052), p.7.
- Westhoff, G., Buttgereit, F., Gromnica-Ihle, E. and Zink, A., 2008. Morning stiffness and its influence on early retirement in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology, 47(7), pp.980-984.
- Scott, J.T., 1960. Morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 19(4), p.361.
