Many of us struggle with morning stiffness on a regular basis, but if we have some sort of disease related to pain, we end up feeling a lot worse in the morning.
The stiffness of our muscles could end up being a lot worse than it would be otherwise. That being said, it’s important for us to understand why the morning stiffness is so much worse with fibromyalgia, and we need to make sure that we know how to deal with it, so that our mornings are a little more bearable. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at this common issue and help you find ways to help relieve it.
Why is Morning Stiffness Worse With Fibromyalgia?
Morning stiffness is incredibly common among all sorts of different people. You wake up in the morning, and your body feels as if it is all contracted. Your back may feel like it is all stuck together, or your legs may feel like they don’t bend very easily.
But, luckily, as soon as you start to get out of bed, your back may crack a bit, and your legs will stretch out so that you feel like you are able to move again. It actually feels good to get out of bed, even though it may take a little bit of effort in order to be able to do so.
Okay, so if you deal with fibromyalgia, you know that you’re dealing with pain a majority of the time. Because of that, you’ve probably done a number of different things to deal with the pain. You may exercise and stretch during the day, or you may take medication or supplements in order to ensure that your pain is minimized during the day.
So, of course, you know that you’re not doing anything for the 8 hours that you’re sleeping through the night (or however long you end up sleeping). Because of that, your body is already going to get stiff. But, if you are already suffering from fibromyalgia, it’s going to feel that much worse.
What Can We Do To Relieve the Fibromyalgia Pain that Comes with Morning Stiffness?
It’s important that we learn how to deal with the pain that comes with fibromyalgia, whether it comes in the morning or during another part of the day. Since the morning is often worse, which we talked about above, you would imagine that there are specific things that you can do in order to reduce that pain. That being said, there are some tips that you can use in order to fight off that morning pain and get through your day in a more effective way.
One of the best ways for you to deal with that stiffness is to get up and stretch. It may be difficult at first, but getting up is the first step to feeling better. If your muscles feel too tense to stretch, then you will want to take the time to go take a warm bath or a warm shower. The hot water will help your body to stretch out and the muscles will not feel as tense as they did beforehand. Give yourself enough time in the morning to be in the shower or bath for at least 15 minutes, because you’ll need that time in order to make sure that you’re flexible and that you’re able to move more easily. Then, you can stretch when you get out.
Another suggestion that many doctors have is that you should stick to a regular sleep schedule and have good sleeping habits. Too many people with fibromyalgia end up having a weird sleep schedule, which makes it hard for you to be able to recover in the morning.
By getting the appropriate amount of sleep for your age and your physique (anywhere from 7 to 9 hours for most people), you will feel better after a good night’s sleep. Exhaustion is usually a common problem for those who struggle with morning stiffness, and can be a huge cause at times, so if you are ensuring that you get enough sleep during the night, you’re going to feel a lot better.
Also, make sure that you are sleeping on a bed that is appropriate for your particular needs (either in terms of firmness or size). On top of that, you will also want to ensure that you’re not sleeping with too many pillows or doing any other poor sleeping practices. Don’t fall asleep with the television on and don’t play with mobile devices or your computer within an hour of going to bed (the blue light can cause sleeping issues).
One last suggestion for those with fibromyalgia is to try doing yoga during the morning, before you try to go out and take care of your errands and such for the day. Why? Because yoga can actually really help to stretch your body and make it feel as if it is able to move more easily. On top of that, it eases your body into it – instead of just getting up and jumping around trying to get your body to work the way that you want it to, yoga eases you into it and helps you to feel more comfortable, thus getting that stiffness out of your body.
Not only that, but yoga reduces stress and helps your muscles to relax as well, both of which help to reduce the amount of pain that you’re dealing with. Even if you don’t have morning stiffness issues, yoga can be an excellent thing for those with fibromyalgia either way.
Have you used any of these tips before? Have they been effective in helping you to deal with the morning stiffness that often comes with fibromyalgia? Are there other tips that you use in order to fend off the morning stiffness and pain? Don’t try and deal with it on your own – these tips are meant to help you and relive you from what is going on with fibromyalgia.
Further reading
7 Ways to Cope with Fibromyalgia Morning Pain
Morning Stiffness in Fibromyalgia
http://www.fmnetnews.com/latest-news/morning-stiffness-in-fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/guide/fibromyalgia-symptoms
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