Every day is a gift, but it sure doesn’t feel like it when you wake up to joint and muscle pain in the morning. Sore muscles and joints in the morning can make it difficult to get out of bed, get dressed, and even just start your day.
Whether you experience occasional discomfort or live with chronic conditions, you need to find effective ways to manage morning pain because it is crucial to your well-being. Fortunately, this power to reduce morning pain is in your hands.
There are several effective methods for managing aching joints in the morning, and we’ll discuss them in this article so that you’ll know how to eliminate morning pain and live a better life. As a bonus, we’ll also discuss how to stop stomach pain in the morning.
Understanding Joint and Muscle Pain in the Morning
Joint and muscle pain in the morning affects several people. In fact, it may be more common than you may think. Additionally, morning pain affects people of all ages, so it’s not one of those health issues that you only have to worry about as you get older.
The pain you feel can be as basic as body aches resulting from intensive activities. However, it can also be as a result of certain underlying diseases.
Causes of Morning Pain
Understanding the causes of morning pain is important because you can find relief by eliminating some of the unhealthy habits that caused it.
Causes of morning pain include the following:
Inactivity During Sleep
When you sleep, your body is immobilized and remains inactive, and you may maintain one position for hours; your joints and muscles remain in the same position for an extended period, leading to stiffness and pain when you wake up.
Inflammatory Conditions
Supported by inactivity, conditions such as arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, can make joint pain worse in the morning.
When you’re asleep, inflammation builds up overnight, leading to sore muscle and joints in the morning. The build-up of inflammation overnight can make joint pain worse in the morning.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness.
Heel pain in the morning and sore muscle and joints in the morning are common symptoms.
Poor Sleep Posture
Have you ever woken up with a painful, stiff neck? Poor sleep posture is the likely culprit.
Good posture is also important when you’re asleep, just as when you’re walking or hunched over your computer while working. Sleeping in an awkward position or on an unsupportive mattress can cause sore muscle and joints in the morning.
Stress and Tension
One often overlooked source of joint and muscle pain in the morning is the mind. Psychological tension can manifest as physical pain and discomfort.
Psychological factors such as stress and anxiety can contribute to muscle tension, leading to morning muscle pain.
Imagine psychological stress as a load pressing down against your body and squeezing your muscles, it gets too much bear, and the effect is sore muscle and joints.
Overexertion or Physical Activity
This one is something you’re probably familiar with. You hit the gym after a long absence or increase your workout load and find that you can’t move freely due to sore muscle and joints.
You may not even feel the full weight of the strain until the next day, which makes joint pain worse in the morning.
It’s great to exercise and work out, but one particular discomfort linked to overexertion is lower back pain in the morning that goes away as you go about your daily activities and your body warms up.
Other Underlying Health Conditions
If you feel sore muscle and joints in the morning, it may be due to underlying health conditions. Health conditions that can cause joint and muscle pain in the morning include:
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Gout
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Lupus
What Causes Heel Pain in the Morning?
It’s not unusual to experience heel pain when you wake up, and your body aches all over. Sometimes, heel pain in the morning may be a standalone discomfort where you don’t experience sore muscle and joints in the morning.
Other times, it may be a combination of everything.
Causes of heel pain in the morning include the following:
Plantar Fasciitis
This is one of the top causes of heel pain in the morning. It is a common condition that causes inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the toes.
Plantar fasciitis is often worse in the morning after a night of immobility and inactivity because the plantar fascia is at rest all night and needs to get used to straining again in the morning.
Achilles Tendinitis
Your calf muscles are connected to your heel bone by a connective tissue called the Achilles tendon. When the Achilles tendon is inflamed, it can cause heel pain in the morning.
Stress Fractures
These are small cracks in the bones of the foot caused by repetitive stress on the foot, such as from running or walking.
Unlike major fractures, they are small but can cause much pain and discomfort.
Weight Gain
Being obese or overweight is one of the common causes of heel pain in the morning.
The bigger you are, the more strain you put on your feet, and your heel bears most of that strain because it is the very foundation of your skeletal structure.
Bad Footwear
Poorly fitting shoes can cause heel pain by putting pressure on the foot in the wrong places. In particular, shoes that don’t fit well can cause inflammation of the plantar fascia leading.
Imagine wearing bad footwear throughout the day and into the night; you’re bound to experience heel pain in the morning.
How to Stop Joint and Muscle Pain in the Morning
If you experience joint and muscle pain in the morning, you’ll be glad to know that there are remedies for it. Let’s get right to it.
Use a Supportive Mattress and Pillow
One of the biggest causes of sore muscle and joints in the morning is bad sleeping posture, but you can fix this with the right mattress and pillow.
Ensure your mattress supports your body, especially your spine and joints. Consider using a pillow that aligns your neck and spine properly.
Gentle Stretching
Sometimes, you can fix sore muscle and joints in the morning with light stretching. This will get you moving, improve blood flow and get the creaks out of your joints.
Examples of morning stretch you can perform include the following:
Neck Stretch:
- Gently tilt your head to the right, then to the left.
- Repeat five times in each direction.
- Rotate your head slowly in a clockwise direction, then another five times in an anti-clockwise direction.
- Repeat five times in each direction.
Shoulder Stretch:
- Raise your arms overhead and clasp your open palms together.
- Gently pull your arms back towards your body.
- Hold for ten seconds and repeat five times.
Chest Stretch:
- Reach your arms behind you and clasp your hands together.
- Gently pull your arms apart, stretching your chest muscles.
- Hold the position for ten seconds and repeat it five times.
Back Stretch:
This is particularly good for back pain and will help iron out the discomfort in your back in no time.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head and gently arch your back. Hold the arch for ten seconds and return to the rest position; repeat five times.
Hip Flexor Stretch
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
- Lean forward and reach for your toes.
- Hold the stretch for ten seconds and return to the rest position; repeat five times.
Weight Management
Remember what we said about the link between weight and morning pain? The heavier you are, the more load you place on your skeletal structure leading to joint and muscle pain in the morning.
Implement weight management techniques like a healthy diet and exercise to help you stay in shape and ward off morning pain.
Healthy Diet
The benefits of a healthy diet are immense; you can combat sore muscle and joints you feel in the morning by eating right. A healthy diet helps you maintain a healthy weight and supplies the essential nutrients your body needs to keep your muscles and joints healthy.
Avoid processed foods, sugar, excessive carbs, and other unhealthy foods because they can cause inflammation and worsen morning pain. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables because they contain anti-inflammatory properties; whole grains, nuts, and protein are indispensable to a healthy diet.
Stress Management
Stress significantly contributes to morning pain because it affects your body and mind. While you’re feeling the physical strain, the psychological strain worsens the condition.
Stress management is a necessity, not an option, because, with the hustle and bustle of modern life, you’ll always have stressors, so it’s up to you to manage them.
Optimize Sleep
Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and optimizing sleep quality is important because a well-rested body is less likely to experience joint pain in the morning.
Adequate sleep is crucial for pain management, but a third of American adults say they don’t get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is linked to chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression. If you want to stop having joint and muscle pain in the morning, you’ll prioritize sleep.
Tips for improving sleep include the following:
- Avoiding stimulants before bed
- Create a comfortable sleep environment
- Establish a bedtime routine
- Have a consistent sleep schedule
- Limit screen time before bed
- Regular exercise
- Stress management
Seek Medical Attention
If you’re struggling with unbearable morning pain, we suggest you see a doctor. Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve temporary pain. However, we do not advise you to self-medicate; see a qualified doctor because they know what medication is best for you, and you’d need professional advice on drug interactions.
Your doctor may also recommend topical creams, gels, and patches which offer localized pain relief. Remember, it is essential to apply them as instructed, and if you have any allergies, mention them to your doctor.
Another medical treatment for sore muscle and joints in the morning is joint injections and corticosteroids, which may relieve localized pain.
Natural Remedies and Supplements
Some natural remedies and supplements, such as turmeric, ginger, or fish oil, have shown potential joint and muscle pain benefits.
According to one study, omega-3 supplements proved as effective as ibuprofen in reducing pain and may be a safer alternative to NSAIDs in treating neck or back pain. However, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional before adding them to your regimen.
Physical Therapy
If joint and muscle pain in the morning requires specialized care, physical therapy such as the following can be effective:
- Electrical stimulation
- Heat and cold therapy
- Manual therapy
- Therapeutic exercises
- Ultrasound therapy
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Collectively referred to as CAM, alternative therapies like acupuncture, herbs, meditation, or chiropractic care have been reported to provide pain relief.
One unique feature of CAM is that it focuses on total body health rather than localized pain relief. CAM practitioners tackle the problem of pain at its root rather than symptomatic relief. This approach emphasizes personalized care and encourages patients to participate actively in their health management.
How to Stop Stomach Pain in the Morning
Apart from joint and muscle pain in the morning, stomach pain is another source of discomfort that can get your day off to a bad start. So, let’s talk about how to stop stomach pain in the morning.
Stomach pain has several causes, including:
- Acid Reflux or GERD
- Appendicitis
- Constipation
- Food allergies or intolerance
- Indigestion
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Stress or anxiety
- Ulcer
Because stomach pain has many causes, it may be difficult to pinpoint why you have it in the morning. However, you may experience relief if you do the following:
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as they may irritate your stomach.
- Avoid greasy or spicy foods close to bedtime because they can cause indigestion.
- Drink enough water to help balance your stomach acids.
- Eat a light bedtime snack to avoid stomach pain caused by hunger pangs.
- Manage stress and anxiety.
- Identify your allergies and avoid them.
- Over-the-counter medication can provide relief for stomach pain related to acid reflux.
If none of the above solutions work for you or the pain is too much to bear, see a doctor as soon as possible so that you can get a diagnosis and commence treatment before it gets worse.
Enjoy Pain Relief With Craft Medical
You can manage morning joint and muscle pain through a multi-faceted approach, including lifestyle changes, self-care techniques, and medical interventions. By implementing these strategies and seeking professional advice, you can effectively counter morning pain and improve your overall quality of life.
Everyone’s journey is unique, so what works for someone you know may not work for you. That’s why we recommend that you speak with our in-house experts here at Craft Medical. They will help you find the best combination of approaches for your specific treatment plan.
