Joint Stiffness [Why It Happens & Home Remedies]
Experiencing achiness? Are you not able to fully straighten your leg? You may be experiencing joint stiffness. While common, joint pain and stiffness can be quite uncomfortable. It can even affect your mobility or make it too hard to enjoy physical activities. Luckily, there are ways you can improve symptoms of joint stiffness right at home.
Joint stiffness is often temporary and can be improved with proper care. You can do things at home to reduce joint stiffness, including changing how you sleep and eating everyday ingredients in your cupboard. The first thing you should do, however, is identify why you are experiencing joint stiffness. If it’s nothing serious, try some of these proven home remedies for fast relief. So what causes joint stiffness? It’s surprisingly more than just old age. Here is what you should know!
What is Joint Stiffness?
What is joint stiffness? Well, it’s when your joints feel stiff! It may be tough to move your joint as freely as usual and feel a bit uncomfortable or tight. Joint stiffness happens more as people age, thanks to the natural wear and tear of using your joints. You’ll most often feel the stiffness when you wake up, but it can happen any time and for many different reasons.
Discomfort can range in severity, from mild stiffness that lasts a short time to something a bit more serious that limits mobility. Pain and inflammation can occur along with the stiffness, making it tough to get up and stand or walk. And some things you do or conditions you have can make the stiffness worse. But luckily, there are ways to get relief from joint stiffness.
Is Joint Stiffness Common?
Yes, joint stiffness is common. If you wake up and feel that your neck is tight and uncomfortable, don’t panic! Many times, joint stiffness seems to appear randomly. Besides aging, there are many reasons why joints get stiff, it could happen to anyone at any time. Most joint stiffness is quite innocent and temporary, but 15 million people report severe joint stiffness and aches every year!
What Causes Joint Stiffness?
It’s important to pinpoint what is causing your joint stiffness to better treat the condition and reduce the symptoms. Joint stiffness can occur due to a variety of reasons, below we have listed some of the most common causes.
- Time of day: Joint stiffness is more common in the morning due to the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints. After sleep, when you haven’t been moving for several hours, the fluid dries, and your body has to create more.
- Sleeping position: A big factor in joint stiffness is the way you sleep. If your spine and neck are not in a neutral position, you can wake up feeling stiff.
- Age: We knew this was coming! A lifetime of using our joints can potentially lead to unwanted stiffness. Over time, as we age, our joint’s mobility and range of motion can become restricted. Depending on your age, you may already notice you are sometimes less flexible. Unfortunately, if the cartilage also wears down, it can lead to arthritis.
- Illness and Serious Conditions: Multiple conditions can cause you to have severe stiffness and aches. These conditions include fibromyalgia, gout, bursitis, and lupus.
- Weather: This may sound like an old wives’ tale, but the weather really can impact your joints! Experts aren’t exactly sure why, but joint stiffness can worsen when the weather changes. It’s most common when air pressure falls, usually before a storm.
- Injury: A joint injury can cause inflammation, leading to stiffness, aches, and discomfort.
What Lifestyle Factors Can Cause Joint Stiffness?
While many of the reasons behind joint stiffness are things we can’t control, like weather and time of day, some lifestyle factors can increase the possibility of having achy knees and necks.
One major factor is diet. If a person is overweight, it’s much more common for them to suffer from joint stiffness. That’s because extra weight places more pressure on joints. Being obese can also cause inflammation and affect bone health.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on what you eat. Dairy products and meat can trigger conditions that cause joint stiffness, like gout. The less plant-based food you eat, the more likely you are to suffer from joint stiffness. Research has shown that people on vegan diets have less stiffness thanks to abundant fiber, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.
Another factor is exercise. While being active is overall a healthy choice, you should always make sure that you exercise safely. If you overwork your body without stretching or warmups, you can end up with injuries that lead to joint stiffness and aches.
What Are the Symptoms of Joint Stiffness?
Joint stiffness is often not only a stiff joint. There are other symptoms to look out for as well. This includes:
- Swelling near the joint
- Pain in the stiff area
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Tingling
- Numbness in the affected spot
- Limping
- Unable to fully move the stiff limb
- Lack of mobility
Home Remedies for Joint Stiffness
Joint stiffness can range from uncomfortable to severely debilitating. If it’s just a minor ache, there are luckily many home remedies that can reduce the symptoms, such as:
- CBD salve
- Fish oil
- Ice packs
- CBD bath bombs
- Finding a more comfortable sleeping position
In most cases, you can improve mild joint discomfort with home remedies. If you only have minor discomfort for a short period, there are things you can do to improve your symptoms without even leaving home.
Keep Your Home a Comfortable Temperature
You probably noticed that you experience more aches when your home is too cold or the temperature changes too often. Try keeping your home at a comfortable temperature that doesn’t trigger your joints to feel stiff and achy.
Use Pillows at Night
Certain sleeping positions can leave you feeling stiff. If you lay on your side, stiffness on one particular side may be more common. But this can be alleviated (and avoided) by using pillows. Using pillows can keep your body in a position that better aligns your neck and spine, reducing the chance of aches in the morning.
Cold or Hot Compresses
When you press a wrapped-up ice pack against your affected joint, you can reduce swelling and stiffness. Heat, on the other hand, will relax your muscles and joints. You can even try a hot bath!
Improve Your Diet
Try changing your diet if you are experiencing a lot of stiffness. Add more fiber and vegetables to improve your joint and bone health. If needed, this will also help you lose weight, taking pressure off your joints.
Exercise Safely
Moving your joints and staying active will help keep you healthy and reduce aches. But just make sure you’re going about it smartly. You don’t want to overwork your joints. Make sure you stretch before and after a workout and always listen to your body. A little soreness is okay, but don’t push yourself if you feel any pain or discomfort!
Use CBD Salve
When you’re experiencing aches and discomfort, nothing feels nicer than using a salve. Well, except CBD salve! The addition of CBD, a natural phytocannabinoid found in hemp, makes salve even more beneficial and impactful.
CBD interacts with the receptors in your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which affects your overall wellness and balance (homeostasis). When you rub CBD salve on an affected area, the CBD will interact with the receptors right under the skin, targeting that specific spot. You’ll notice reduced physical discomfort within 30 minutes, including minimized swelling, aches, and stiffness.
Cheef Botanicals’ CBD salve also contains beneficial ingredients that further impact your joint wellness. This includes:
- Candelilla Wax
- Calendula Flowers
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Fennel Essential Oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Frankincense Essential Oil
- Vitamin E
Apply CBD salve by gently massaging the cream into your skin. You can also try CBD oil or CBD flower if you’re looking for other ways to experience CBD’s many benefits. A CBD bath bomb will allow you to experience a total escape just by sinking into the hot water in your tub. Smoking CBD will work the quickest, providing almost instant relief in your troublesome joint. CBD will leave you feeling comforted and relaxed.
Fish Oil and Other Supplements
Research shows that people who use fish oil report less discomfort in the morning. That’s because fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids and other ingredients that improve joint and muscle health. Flaxseed is another great natural remedy since it has a lot of the same components within.
Final Thoughts – Joint Stiffness
If you experience joint stiffness and pain for an extended time, you may need to reach out to a doctor for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Aching joints that last more than three days may be something troubling. You should also see a doctor if your skin is red and warm, your joint is tender to the touch, your joint looks deformed, or you are experiencing pain.
Stiff joints can be caused by many things, including age, weight, weather, and how you slept that night. While certain things can’t be helped, some lifestyle factors can make joint stiffness more prominent. Staying healthy and active are the best ways to assist joint stiffness. Stay tuned to Cheef Botanicals for all the latest tips on your well-being!
