Understanding Morning Aches And How To Cope

We’re sure you know that all too familiar feeling of waking up stiff and sore the next morning? The feeling sucks and can put a damper on your day, but why does it happen?
People suffer from morning muscle aches for a variety of reasons. In this post, we want to help you get a better understanding of this.

What are morning aches?

Morning aches are the pains you can feel after a night’s sleep. They are usually in the form of stiff muscles, a sore neck and an aching back among others.
Some people also suffer from chronic morning headaches. A study by Stanford University suggests that 1 in 13 people experience morning headaches.

Why do people experience morning aches?

Morning aches occur for various reasons including but not limited to the following:

Depression

Depression is a health condition that sometimes leads to headaches and other forms of body pain.
Some research by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group found that some women who suffered from more than 15 headaches a month were at risk of depression.

Too much exercise

Overworking your body can put a strain on the joints and muscles, resulting in pain.

Lacking in vitamin B

Vitamin B is one of the more potent vitamins and it shows to help reduce depression and improve focus. Some people experience morning leg cramps which may also be due to a lack of vitamin B.
Calf cramps are some of the most common forms of leg cramps suffered in patients.

Medical conditions

Certain medical conditions can lead to pain in the body. Prescription pain medication and alternative medicine can help to remedy this.

Morning sickness cramps

Morning sickness is often associated with pregnancy. Yet in some instances, morning tummy aches can also occur because of medications.
Sometimes stomach pain happens due to other health conditions. Indigestion can cause all sorts of stomach discomfort and this can occur in the morning too.

Bad posture

Bad posture is probably one of the main factors that lead to morning body aches and pain. Sitting or standing in the wrong position for a long time can put stress on the body.

Bad mattress support

Having a quality mattress and pillow support will improve the health of your spine. This will also reduce pain the next morning.

Can you combat morning aches?

Yes, you most definitely can. Try assessing what the problem could be and work on a solution like the following:

Invest in a quality mattress and pillow

Investing in a quality mattress will go a long way to providing you with the comfort and the support that your body needs.
Mattresses differ one from the other and you need to check which one will best suit your needs.

Maintain regular bedtime

Focus on maintaining a regular bedtime and practicing good sleep hygiene. This will help you to get a good night’s rest and feel better in the morning.

Enjoy an invigorating shower

To combat morning muscle aches try taking an invigorating, yet soothing shower.

Take deeper longer breathes

Meditation and breathing exercises also have a way of lowering stress hormones. When the body is feeling relaxed, the muscles tend to become more relaxed and thus less tension and knots.

Try yoga

Yoga is another way to combat the woes of morning aches. Through these stretches, your muscles become more flexible. This also helps to reduce injuries and aches in the morning.

Visit a chiropractor to help cope with morning aches

Chiropractic is part of alternative medicine and helps patients manage pain and other symptoms related to illness. This is because regular adjustments help the body’s CNS (Central Nervous System) to work better.
The CNS sends signals to the brain and the correct hormones are produced such as dopamine. Dopamine us the body’s natural pain reliever. Other hormones like serotonin are also released and this is the “feel good” or “feel happy” hormone.
Regular adjustments can thus also help to reduce inflammation as a result of proper chemical balance.

Have you tried seeing a chiropractor for morning aches?