7 practical ideas managing morning stiffness from RA

Waking up with frustrating morning stiffness due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a one of the most common complaints of this condition.  Rheumatologists consider morning stiffness lasting at least an hour a day a key sign of RA.  Eventually the stiffness will gradually go away but it can take time.  Dealing with stiff, inflexible joints can be difficult when trying to get ready for the day.

To help ease rigidity from happening, here are eight things to try to gently reduce morning stiffness:

1.  Plan ahead

Since stiffness sets in during the night, anticipate by planning ahead when you go to bed.  By your bedside, have ready a pain or an anti-inflammatory medication, a glass of water, and a couple of crackers.  Set your alarm an hour before you usually wake up.  When the alarm goes off in the morning, don’t get up but rather take the medication with plenty of water and eat the crackers to help prevent stomach upset.  Reset your alarm for your usual time and dose off back to sleep.  By doing taking this action, it allows the medication to get into your system by the time you’re ready to get out of bed.

2.  Do some exercises in bed

Before arising from bed, do some gently stretching and range-of-motion exercises.  This helps get your circulation moving bring blood flow throughout the body loosing and waking up creaky joints.

A good way to get your body ready for movement is to start off by lying on your back in bed. Stretch your upper body first, moving your joints gently through a comfortable range of motion. First, turn your head from side to side, loosening your neck.  Then, stretch the following joints, first on one side and then the other – hands, wrist, elbows, and shoulders. Then do the same for with the joints in the lower body – toes, ankles, knees, and hips.  When the joints feel less stiff and painful is when to get up.

3.  Take a warm shower

One of the best ways to relives morning stiffness is to take a warm bath or shower.  Heat brings blood to the surface of skin while warming your joints at the same time.  If taking a bath, soak in warm water for 10-20 minutes.  While sitting in the tub, gently move and exercise joints. 

4.  Get your clothes warm by heating in the dryer

Place your clothes for the day into the dryer set on high heat for five minutes. Getting dressed into heated clothes will soothe and loosen up stiff, achy joints.

5.  Eat a nutritious breakfast

Every morning, have breakfast.  RA is an autoimmune disease attacking your joints.  Your body is having to defend itself from other attacks and is constantly trying to repair damage from these attacks.  By starting your day off with a healthy breakfast, this can fuel your body with immune-boosting nutrients fueling your body to function properly.  Opt out of choosing sugary cereals or donuts; rather choose foods loaded with powerful nutrients such as eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, or whole grain cereals.

6.  Keep yourself warm

Stiff, painful joints respond well to heat.  Throughout the day, bring heat to your aches by using warming salves or lotions massaged into the skin over the joint.  As the heat penetrates, this can help loosen stiff joints.

Another technique is to use cloth bags filled with uncooked rice or beans, place in a microwave for a minute or so to get it warm, and use it placed over achy joints.  The heat should last about 30 minutes – an electric heating pad can do the same thing too.

7.  Move your body frequently throughout the day

There may be times when RA will make exercising difficult, especially when a joint flares up.  When it is painful to move, it is also easy to avoid exercising.  The best solution is to move other areas of your body that are not in pain.  Walking for 15 to 20 minutes a day can strengthen muscles supporting joints.  Also stretching and moving joints through simple, gently range-of-motion exercises helps to keep them from getting stiff and weak. 

When you keep your body strong and fit this can reduce the time it takes to relieve stiffness in the morning.