The Skinny on Morning Stiffness
Do you wake up in the morning feeling stiff, and needing time to warm up your joints? Are you attributing this achiness and inflexibility to getting older? Age can play a part in the “needing to move slowly in the morning” ritual, but in fact there is a better reason.
It’s important to note that this stiffness does not just get better on its own. In fact, it can easily get worse and creep more and more into your daily life until it causes a major injury resulting in pain. The good news is, there are ways to relieve this stiffness without reversing the sands of time.
Two Key Practices to Relieve & Prevent StiffnessDrink more water!
Our joints need fluid to move well and efficiently. Without fluid in our joints, they become stiff and inflexible. The muscles and fascia and cartilage surrounding our joints and throughout our body also need water to stay supple. Cartilage is made of mostly water, so dehydration causes cartilage to weaken and joint repair to slow.
Reportedly, 75% of the American population is chronically dehydrated! And dehydration not only contributes to stiffness, but also contributes to fatigue, high blood pressure, allergies, and weight gain. So, drink up people, and if you’re a soda drinker or consume more than a cup or 2 of coffee a day, please please please hop on the water bandwagon. Drinking soda and caffeine only dehydrates you more.
Get a myofascial massage
I know from experience helping clients that releasing fascial restrictions (combined with drinking more water) has eradicated the morning stiffness for my clients who stick with the regimen for at least a month. These clients then don’t have to continue to get a regular massage (unless they want to) to stay out of pain, as long as they stay mobile and continue moving. I always recommend some form of exercise, preferably something that will take your joints to their full range of motion.
So, what exactly is fascia, you ask? Well, it’s connective tissue running all throughout your body in a continuous, 3-dimensional web. Fascia surrounds every muscle, nerve, bone, blood vessel, and organ in the body, and all the way down to the cellular level. It is amazing stuff!
Malfunction of the fascial system from poor posture, injury, repetitive activities, inflammation, or lack of water can result in a “binding” of the fascia. This “binding” creates immobility and pain, and it takes movement therapies or manual manipulation to unbind it.
What is fascia’s role?
* it is needed for muscle contraction and relaxation
* it covers the whole body from head to toe
* it holds the organs in place
* it is a conduit for nerve, blood, and lymph vessels as they pass through muscles
* it is vital for movement, helping transmit tension from muscle to tendon to bone, and from ligament to bone
In this brief video, Fuzz Speech, Dr. Gil Hedley discusses fascial fibrosis (or fascial binding), which he terms “fuzz”. Gil is quite the animated guy, but he has a great way of explaining stiffness caused by “fuzz” or fascial binding.
So don’t forget to drink your water, and if you have any questions about whether myofascial massage salt lake can help you, don’t hesitate to call us at 801.906.3222
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Thanks!