There comes a time when you wake up and no longer bounce out of bed. Whether you are dealing with an old injury, a new issue, chronic aches and pains, or joint stiffness, the simple act of getting out of bed in the morning can leave you wishing you could fall back into the pillows and avoid the rest of your day. What if you could say goodbye to those morning aches and pains for good? Call our office today to schedule your physical therapy consultation to find out exactly how. While you wait for your appointment, there are three simple things you can do to wake up feeling better.
1. Drink More Water Throughout the Day
Up to 60 percent of the human body is made of water. Your brain, muscles, organs, skin, and connective tissues rely on water to perform their proper functions. Yet, up to 75 percent of Americans are functioning in a state of chronic dehydration. In other words, the fluids we are putting out do not equal the liquids that we are putting into our bodies. Not only does dehydration cause brain fog, memory problems and irritability, it also has been linked to joint stiffness, muscle aches and chronic pain. Doctors recommend that adults drink eight 8 oz glasses of water every day, known as the 8 x 8 rule. If you live in a hot climate or perform intense physical activity, you should drink even more. In the end, drinking water throughout the day can help your body maintain joint lubrication, heal muscle fibers and prevent aches and pains when you wake up.
2. Get Adequate Sleep
Studies have shown that, while we require around 8.5 hours of sleep at night to avoid chronic sleep deprivation, we are actually averaging closer to 7 hours of shut-eye. Not only does a lack of sleep contribute to lower levels of alertness throughout the day and a higher risk of accidents, sleep deprivation has also been linked to higher pain levels when we are awake. Even if you resort to taking pain medication or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) throughout the day, their effects are greatly diminished when you haven’t had adequate sleep at night. Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night for maximum benefit. You might be surprised at how quickly your morning aches and pains resolve.
3. Stretch
It may seem strange to stretch just before you hop into bed, but stretching has been shown to improve your quality of sleep while preventing morning aches and pains. It relieves muscle tension, prevents sleep-induced cramping and repositions your body’s posture while giving you a sense of relaxation. However, many people don’t know where to start with an effective stretching routine. Fortunately, a physical therapist can create a stretching program that addresses your specific morning aches and pains. Physical therapy is not just for post-surgical recovery, it can address your everyday pain as well. Your physical therapist is a specialist in the way your body moves. They can assess how your body is positioned during the day and how to tend to sleep at night and recommend a personalized stretching protocol to help prevent morning aches and stiffness.
Ready to give physical therapy a try? Call our office for more information on how a physical therapist can help you say goodbye to morning pain for good.
