Pain With Age
As people age, many develop aches and pains that become progressively worse. This begins to interfere with their normal work requirements, daily activities and sleep patterns. In many cases these aches and pains are worse upon awakening in the morning and ease as the day continues.
Why Are Aches and Pains More Prevalent Upon Awakening?
Although general pain and aching can be attributed to many causes, inflammation is one of the most common. As you move about throughout the day, the tissues of the body often become irritated, resulting in chronic inflammation. If the irritation is not severe, you may not be aware that anything is happening inside your muscles and joints but as you sleep, the inflammation becomes thickened, making your body’s tissues less elastic. This inelasticity increases the irritant level in the tissues of the body and the results are felt as stiff or aching muscles and joints upon awakening.
How?
As you arise and begin to move about, the inflammation in the tissues becomes less thick, allowing the tissues, muscles and joints to begin to move more freely and the pain recedes.
When this constant cycle of building and receding inflammation repeats again and again, chronic tissue degeneration occurs and permanent damage can result. This is why it is important to take morning aches and pains seriously and find proven ways to relieve the discomfort.
What Are Some Effective Ways to Help Relieve Common Aches and Pains?
Improve your overall health with these simple steps:
- Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on anti-oxidant rich fruits, vegetables and nuts, such as peppers, carrots, broccoli, berries, grapes, citrus and walnuts
- Drink plenty of water to ensure proper hydration of body tissues, including muscles and joints
- Get regular! Low impact exercise makes your body metabolism more efficiently. It also helps remove waste materials that can build up and inflame body tissues.
- Get enough restful sleep to maintain body chemistry and help promote normal function
- Improve sitting and standing posture to alleviate pressure points and help to prevent stress on muscles, joints and bones.
- Learn to manage stress to prevent involuntary tensing of muscles that can result in inflamed muscles and joints
Physical Therapy Helps
To find out more about how physical therapy can help you deal with your aches and pains, contact us now. We want to help you become stronger and enjoy better mobility at any stage of life.
