Morning Hip Stiffness: What Is It And How Do You Fight It?
If your hips feel stiff in morning, even after seemingly sleeping soundly during the night, you may wonder what's going on with your health. Although stiff joints and muscles are often associated with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, it may not always be the case. These types of conditions create problems in multiple body areas and not just your hips. Other factors may be reasons for your stiffness, including sleeping in the same position all night long and overexerting yourself during exercise during the day. Here are possible causes of your stiff hips and what you can do to ease them.
Why Are Your Hips Stiff Every Morning?
Sometimes, lying in the same position or on the same side for long periods of time can stiffen up your joints. The position reduces blood flow, or circulation, to that side of your body, which causes your hips to feel tingly, tender, and even stiff.
Overexerting your hip joints can be a possible reason for your morning stiffness. Various ligaments, tendons and muscles protect and move the joints of your hips. Bending, stooping, jumping, and even intense exercising can place a lot of stress on these tissues. Your body should repair or heal its muscles and other tissues while you sleep but if it doesn't do so for your hips, you may need the intervention of a chiropractor.
What Can You Do to Loosen Up Your Hips?
A chiropractor may suggest that you change your sleep position during the night. For example, instead of sleeping mainly on your right side, switch to your back or left side as often as you can. Rotating your sleep positions may help prevent stress on your hips so that they can recover during the night.
Also, consider changing up your exercise routine to allow your hip joints and other tissues to rest and recover. For instance, if you tend to do full-body workouts seven days a week, reduce the time to three days a week instead. You can fill in your off days with lighter, less stressful exercises, such as walking around the block or swimming. Be sure to stretch your lower body after every exercise session to help relax your tissues. If you can't decide on the best course of action to take for your daily exercise, speak to a chiropractor right away.
For more information about your stiff hips, consult with a chiropractic specialist like North Pole Chiropractic.
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