Exercise Daily – Have you ever been in a situation when you think, “I can hardly walk when I first get up,” if so, then we will explain why you have muscle stiffness in the morning.
It is common for people who have arthritis to experience stiffness when they first wake up in the morning. As you get out of bed in the morning, you feel pain all throughout your body due to morning stiffness.
Your joints and muscles ache so badly when you take the first steps that you want to crawl back into bed.
It is true that morning stiffness can be the most intense discomfort you experience during the day and that it can hinder or interfere with your ability to function and execute normal duties and activities of daily life, particularly in seniors.
Morning Stiffness Causes
When you wake up stiff and achy, it’s tempting to put the blame on age, an old mattress, or a bad night’s sleep.
It’s true that some of these things might make you feel stiff in the morning when you wake up. However, if it occurs frequently, it may indicate the presence of a medical issue.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent kind of arthritis that many individuals get as they age, and morning stiffness is a sign of numerous types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis (OA). As a side effect of inflammatory arthritis, it can cause the following:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
It should come as no surprise that aging and osteoarthritis (OA) contribute to morning stiffness. It is natural for the cartilage that cushions your joints to dry out as you age.
In addition, your joints produce less synovial fluid, which helps to keep them lubricated, making you feel stiff and painful.
This is commonly referred to as “morning gel” since your joints stiffen up like gelatin after being sedentary for a period of many hours. RA, PsA, and AS patients experience morning stiffness because of inflammation.
These are the causes of your concern about “I can hardly walk when I first get up.”
OA and inflammatory arthritis have quite a different morning stiffness symptoms, and the duration of the stiffness differs greatly.
For people suffering from osteoarthritis, the stiffness usually lasts only a few minutes and subsides as you begin to move about. For people who have inflammatory arthritis, the pain may last for an hour or more.
Other Cause of Morning Stiffness
A doctor will likely want to do some easy screening tests to evaluate whether your pain is being caused by immobility-induced inflammation.
If you visit him or her for your pain, he or she will likely order some tests to determine whether your discomfort is being caused by inflammation. Joint and tissue inflammation can be caused by a variety of different ailments, including but not limited to:
- A viral illness that has occurred recently, such as Lyme disease.
- Thyroid disease.
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Rheumatoid arthritis
If your discomfort is not being caused by an underlying ailment, it is necessary to seek medical attention.
12 Effective Treatments for Morning Stiffness
To prevent you from feeling like “I can hardly walk when I first get up” we have brought 12 effective methods. The following are the 10 effective treatments to treat morning stiffness when you wake up:
Be Ready In Advance
Prior to getting out of bed in the morning, take any painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs that you may be prescribed.
Preserve a little food at your bedside so that you do not take your prescription on an empty stomach when you wake up.
Set your alarm clock for an hour earlier than your typical wake-up time as you get ready for bed at night. Place the following items on your nightstand to avoid forgetting them:
- a single dosage of painkiller
- a glass of water
- saltine crackers (a few of them)
Never get out of bed when your alarm goes off in the morning. Simply swallow the pain reliever with lots of water after taking it. Take the saltines to assist in the prevention of stomach distress. Then, set your alarm for the time that you usually get up in the morning.
Being ready in advance will save you from feeling like, “I can hardly walk when I first get up.”
Exercise While Lying In Bed
In most cases, the pain medicine will have begun to act by the time your alarm clock goes off. However, you should not get up just yet.
Gently stretch your muscles and perform some range-of-motion exercises. It will assist in the warming up of your tired muscles as well as the loosening of your creaky joints.
While you’re still tucked beneath the blankets, turn over and rest on your stomach. Starting with your upper body stretches, gently moving your joints through a comfortable range of motion.
To begin, move your head from side to side to release the muscles in your neck. Then, starting on one side and working your way around, stretch the following joints:
- hands
- wrists
- elbows
- shoulders
After that, repeat the process with the joints in your lower body:
- toes
- ankles
- knees
- hips
Slowly and gently move your joints to the extent that you are able. You should get up as soon as your joints no longer feel tight and uncomfortable.
Get into the Shower
One of the most effective ways to treat morning stiffness is to take a warm bath or shower. When the temperature rises, blood rushes to the surface of the skin. Taking a warm bath or shower is a great method to flush out your body and warm up your joints at the same time.
Bathe for 10 to 20 minutes in a warm bath of water. Continue to move and exercise your joints in a gentle manner. With a washcloth, gently massage them.
Make use of your handheld showerhead to massage tight, aching joints while in the shower if you have one. Stay in for a long enough period of time to get comfortable and cozy.
Make Use of Dryer
Making your clothes warm before wearing them will save you from concerns like “I can hardly walk when I first get up”
Simply put your clothing in the dryer for five minutes before getting ready for the day. Make use of the highest heat setting available. Proceed to prepare your coffee, pour your cereal, or cook an egg while you’re waiting.
When the dryer starts to beep, take your hot garments out of the dryer and put them on. The warmth from the dryer is comforting and will assist in loosening up your stiff, achy joints and muscles.
Eat A Nutritious Breakfast
The sun is up, and you’re running on empty. Your body is in desperate need of nourishment!
Eating a simple yet healthy meal in the morning might assist in alleviating stiffness in the morning. An egg or yogurt with whole-grain bread, or a bowl of hot or cold whole-grain cereal with milk or soymilk, are all good options for breakfast.
Every single one of these options will provide your body with the energy it requires to get things going.
When you have arthritis, your body begins to fight its own joints since it is an autoimmune disease. Your body is also continually protecting itself against various types of infections and healing the damage caused by these infections.
As a result, start your day with a nutritious breakfast. It will provide fuel to your body, allowing it to work effectively.
Carnation Breakfast Essentials Light Start Powder Drink
Food products from the Carnation Breakfast Essentials line are available in two basic forms: a pre-mixed bottle drink and a packet that can be dissolved in your favorite drink of choice (usually milk).
In addition to a variety of tastes such as chocolate, strawberry, and cookies and cream, the drinks can be served either hot or cold.
Apart from that, the drinks are available in a variety of nutritional variations, including versions that have been supplemented with probiotics, high protein versions, and low sugar variations.
It will save you from getting thoughts like “I can hardly walk when I first get up.”
All of the goods are free of gluten. Furthermore, although the chocolate flavor contains caffeine, it is a trace quantity (less than 4mg per serving).
Although the nutritional information for each Carnation Breakfast Essentials product varies somewhat depending on the flavor or variety.
Each product offers at least 20 percent of the daily protein requirement, in addition to 21 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
Turn Up the Heat
Warming salves and lotions can provide relief for tight, achy joints. When the warmth is massaged into the skin over the joint, it is deeply penetrating and can stay for quite some time.
Fabric bags packed with raw grains or beans or other organic ingredients work well as heat packs in the wintertime. Warm the bag in the microwave for a minute or two.
After 30 minutes, the temperature should return to normal. Electric heating pads are also a good option.
If your office is cool in the morning, a modest space heater positioned strategically beneath your desk can also assist in alleviating morning stiffness and fatigue.
Do Some Physical Activity Every Day
Exercise might be tough when you have RA. When a joint becomes inflamed, it can be excruciatingly painful to simply move it.
Additionally, while you’re feeling well, it’s tempting to overdo your exercise, which might result in a flare-up. So, what exactly is the key? Don’t put too much pressure on the painful joints, but make every effort to move the others.
Walking for 15 to 20 minutes a day helps to build muscle around your joints and keep them in good shape. It is important to maintain your joints flexible and mobile via easy, modest range-of-motion exercises to prevent them from becoming stiff and weakened.
Maintaining a healthy and strong physique helps lessen the amount of time it takes to get out of bed in the morning and start underway.
So, now you know why you had this thought of “I can hardly walk when I first get up.” It can be because of a lack of exercise.
Adjust Your Pillow
Sometimes all it takes is a small change to your pillow to have a good night’s sleep again. In order to avoid muscular stiffness when sleeping, the perfect pillow must properly align the region of your spine that is in your neck.
Alternatively, you may require a new mattress. Consider a new mattress to be an investment in your health and well-being.
Core Products Tri-Core Midsize Cervical Support Pillow
For both back and side sleepers, the Tri-Core Cervical Support Pillow is a wonderful option. The core of the mattress dips down to cradle the head when sleeping and encourages optimal spinal alignment for those who sleep in various positions.
In the case of back sleepers, the firm cervical roll provides additional support for the neck as the headrests are in shape. In order to provide greater support on one side of the pillow, the other side has a smaller neck roll, which provides less support on the other side.
Side sleepers will benefit from the elevated side portions, which will enable good neck alignment.
The pillow’s adaptability also makes it a wonderful choice for folks who like to change positions during the night.
Because these types of pillows necessitate modifications in sleep position, it may take some time to become adjusted to them.
The Core Products brand recommends that users alternate between using this cushion and a regular pillow while breaking in a new pillow. This will assist in the adaptation of the body to the new sleeping position.
Supplementing with Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for the proper function of your bones and muscles. The majority of individuals do not receive enough vitamin D from their diet, so talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement or eating foods that have been fortified with vitamin D.
To help you prevent thoughts like “I can hardly walk when I first get up,” here is an effective vitamin D supplement.
NOW Vitamin D Supplement
NOW Foods is another good supplement brand that specializes in high-dose vitamin D pills. Each soft gel pill of this unique product contains 10,000 IU of vitamin D3.
It’s also kosher, non-GMO, and completely void of dairy, eggs, sugar, soy, and corn.
In addition to conducting quality assurance tests on all of its products in-house, NOW Foods has its goods third-party evaluated by Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
It’s essential to remember that while this product may be suitable for certain people, it’s always best to consult with a medical provider before using high-dose vitamin D supplements.
Sleeping Position
It’s possible that sleeping on your stomach is adding to your morning discomfort. In order to maintain a neutral spine position when sleeping on your back with a cushion under your knees, sleep on your stomach instead.
You can also sleep on your side with a cushion between your knees if that is more comfortable.
Change the Mattress
Take into account the condition of your mattress. This might result in a bad sleeping posture as well as nighttime tension on certain muscles if the mattress is too hard, too soft, or not supportive enough.
If you want to get rid of “I can hardly walk when I first get up,” try changing your mattress.
Sweetnight Breeze Full Mattress
With the unique features of Gel and support foam, Sweetnight full mattress delivers both pressure point relief and a cool pleasant sleep environment.
It also provides long-lasting stability and body-hugging support, making it a great choice for any bedroom. With the ease of movement, it maintains your body balance and helps you to forget about the pressures of the day.
The Sweetnight twin bed mattress is made of 2″ gel memory foam and 6″ high-density foam for maximum comfort.
The Breeze 8 inch memory foam mattress not only adapts to your body shape but also provides ample support to alleviate back pain and other symptoms.
In addition, the gel infusion helps to regulate temperature, allowing you to sleep cooler than on a standard foam mattress. Sleep on a breeze memory foam mattress and experience 8 hours of deep sleep that will leave you feeling refreshed when you wake up.
Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Assistance
Mornings are typically a flurry of activity. However, when your joints are tight and sore, it might be much more difficult. So go ahead and enlist the assistance of your family or friends. You’ll be pleasantly astonished at how eager they are to help.
Finally, practice mindfulness. Every morning, every day, carve yourself some time for yourself and consider learning to meditate as a stress-relieving technique.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating and painful condition. Every now and again, take a moment to stop and concentrate on your breathing to help reduce the stress of dealing.
Conclusion
We hope now you know why you have a feeling of “I can hardly walk when I first get up.”
Morning stiffness may have a negative impact on your level of stress, capacity to perform, and general quality of life, among other things.
Make every effort to decrease the stiffness you feel in the morning. Try different ways to discover which one works best for you. It is important to discuss this with your healthcare professional.
Even a small amount of effort (for example, staying warm, exercising, or sleeping in a comfortable posture) may make a significant difference.
In the event that you experience severe morning stiffness, you may need to consider making modifications to your drug regimen.
If you have other treatment options, share them with all of us in the comments section below.
I Can Hardly Walk When I First Get Up – FAQs
Why do I have a hard time walking after sitting?
It is normal for people to have difficulty getting up from their sitting position. There are a few other conditions to take into consideration.
A disorder is known as polymyositis, for example can cause real muscular weakness as a result of inflammation of the muscles in the body.
How do I stop morning stiffness?
You can stop your morning stiffness in different ways, such as:
- Using a proper pillow
- Take painkillers
- Adjusting your sleeping position
Is it normal to be stiff in the morning?
Yes, it is normal for people with arthritis conditions to wake up with stiff joints. However, you should seek medical attention for proper diagnosis.
How long does morning stiffness last in osteoarthritis?
The stiffness associated with OA is often only persistent for 30 minutes or less. Morning stiffness is a term used to describe the soreness and stiffness you experience when you first wake up.
