Morning Stiffness…Feel Better TODAY!

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Morning lower back stiffness is a common symptom people describe when they come to see us.  Usually, folks describe an ache and stiffness that prevents them from getting up from laying or sitting as fast as they might like.  Typically this discomfort lessens within a few minutes and eventually passes in a couple of hours. If this pain has occurred in response to a recent acute injury to the lower back or acute flare up of chronic pain, it is usually the last symptom to leave.

Why Does Morning Stiffness Happen?

Regardless of whether it’s from arthritis or an acute injury, joint stiffness typically occurs because of the accumulation of inflammatory fluid within the joints during periods of relative immobility.  Joints are essentially a closed system that cannot tolerate this buildup of fluid.  When congested, the joint cannot move freely until this fluid has been eliminated by movement and/or gravity.  This is why movement, and specific stretching in particular, is so helpful.

My Morning Stiffness Story

I have shared the story of how I came to be a chiropractor with some of you, but for those who are unfamiliar, here it is: (and yes, it has something to do with morning stiffness).  As a teenager, I injured my lower back lifting weights.  When the injury occurred, I didn’t really have any pain, but the next morning my back was so stiff, I couldn’t get out of bed.  I went to see the chiropractor my father had been seeing.  I had X-rays which showed some alignment issues, but nothing more. Within a few weeks of treatment, I was feeling great, and this made such a profound impact on my life that I decided I wanted to do this for a living. A couple years later, I had another set of X-rays done because I was starting to experience morning stiffness more regularly than any 19 year old should.  I was shocked to hear that I had a degenerative disc and some early osteoarthritis in my lower back.

As you might suspect, morning stiffness has been an issue for me from time-to-time.  Mostly, this has been in the wake of a low back injury, but not always.  Over the past 18 years, I’ve noted some things that can help you alleviate that pain substantially within a short period of time.

1.  Your Mattress

Does your mattress have a crater in the middle the size of Death Valley?  Was your mattress made in the previous millennium?  If so, it might be time to visit my friends at Lynn’s Bedroom City.  A mattress should be replaced every 8-10 years, sooner if it shows signs of excessive wear.  I don’t have a specific recommendation for mattress types, I generally recommend a medium firmness with a pillow top, which you should rotate every month. I strongly recommend buying quality.  I have no personal experience with the memory foam or air mattress type bedding. The patients I know who have them are about 50/50: 50% love them, 50% do not.  The professionals at Lynn’s Bedroom City will be able to help you make a choice that fits.

2.  Stretch

Upon retiring to bed every evening AND before getting out of bed in the morning, take 5-7 minutes to do basic flexibility exercises for your lower back.  These include the “single knee to chest” stretch, the “low back rotation” stretch, and the pelvic tilt exercise.  If you don’t know these, please stop by the office for a copy of these simple stretches.  Not only will this greatly reduce, or possibly eliminate your pain, it will get you moving much faster.

3.  Keep Some Elginex/Biofreeze on the Nightstand

I do this when I’ve flared up my lower back and it really does get me out of bed and moving more quickly.  I apply it after I’ve done the stretches, wait for it to warm up, then I get up and go turn on the coffee.

But My Morning Stiffness is Chronic…

If you’ve had morning stiffness for some time, it’s time to come in for a chiropractic checkup.  We may need to do some X-rays to see what’s going on.  For a long-standing problem, I recommend a trace mineral supplement from Standard Process called Trace Minerals B12.  I have had people take 1-2 tablets per day to alleviate morning stiffness and for a good percentage of people, it seems to work great.  Trace minerals provide the micro-nutrients necessary to create strong collagen cross-linkages, which give the cartilage in your discs and joints the strength to withstand shearing (tearing) forces.  They’re even more important in cases involving arthritis because of the ever present struggle between repair and (inflammation producing) degeneration.

Now, you’ve probably heard the recent commercials talking about Ankylosing Spondylitis, or AS, as a possible cause of chronic morning stiffness.  AS is an autoimmune disorder that affects 0.1-0.2% of the population, so while it is a possible cause, it is relatively rare. More commonly, plain old osteoarthritis is the culprit.  AS has distinctive features on X-ray and is easily confirmed by a simple blood test (HLA B-27).

Should I Exercise?

The simple answer is YES!  Movement is how joints and discs get their nutrition, so I highly recommend walking if you are physically capable.  Of course, if you haven’t been exercising, you should always consult your physician first.  More often than not, exercise should reduce your problem, not exacerbate it.  If it does seem to make it worse, I suggest you give us a call.

Get an Adjustment

Chiropractic has always been on the forefront of preventative healthcare and health maintenance in its truest form.  “Eat well, think well, move well, be well” is our official motto at Integrated Chiropractic Rehab.  Regular wellness care is like flossing your spine.
People often forgo or drop out of care only to come back a few months later with a flare-up of their condition.  Typically, it takes a number of these episodes for the realization to sink in:  Maintenance care is a good idea…and now science is beginning to confirm what we have long known.

A study submitted to the medical journal Spine examined whether continued spinal manipulation (adjustments) was beneficial for people with chronic low back pain (LBP).  60 patients with chronic, nonspecific LBP lasting at least 6 months were randomly assigned to one of three groups.  The first group got 12 sham (fake) adjustments over one month, the second group received 12 actual adjustments over one month but no follow-up care, and the final group got 12 adjustments followed by maintenance manipulation every two weeks for nine months.  Those receiving the real adjustments (groups 2 and 3) had significantly lower pain and disability at the end of one month, but only the third group (the maintenance group) showed a continuation of these benefits at the 10 month mark.  Regular chiropractic adjustments can be the ticket to continued pain control and improved quality of life.  In almost every case, there is also a substantial financial savings when compared to treating multiple episodes.  Maintenance care takes less time and less money, so what’s stopping you?
Senna, M et al. Does maintained spinal manipulation for chronic non-specific low back pain result in better long term outcome?  Spine. Published ahead of acceptance  January 17, 2011.