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What Causes Stiffness In Shoulders And Neck In The Mornings?
Question: I am a 93 yr. old man who has high blood pressure,Asthma,and I have Hypothyroid.I take these meds. Levothyroxine,Symbicort,and Albuterall.Also ,Spirolactone. When I wake up in the morning I feel tight and stiff in all my upper body like built up pressure.In the morning my blood pressure is very high,180/79,and my pulse was 53.After a few hrs,my blood pressure returns to normal.I take a low dose of aspirin every day also.
Brief Answer:
Morning stiffness
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for contacting HCM with your medical questions and concerns
I am sorry to hear that you are waking with morning stiffness in the shoulders and neck. Morning stiffness is a symptom frequently attributed to forms of arthritis. Since the joints affected are just in the neck and shoulders the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis of the neck or a degenerative arthritis. I also think that you may also have polymyalgia rheumatic. This is a more serious form of arthritis that can cause progressive debility. To help determine which type of arthritis you would need to see your doctor to run blood work. The one blood work needed is a sed rate. If your sed rate is very high then you probably have the polymyalgia rheumatic. Treatment for polymyalgia rheumatic is a course of steroids. If this is osteoarthritis then anti-inflammatories and perhaps tramadol may help reduce your overall pain.
The elevated blood pressure in the morning is a result of your increased pain. Once you get better control of your pain the blood pressure should return to normal.
In summary
1. type of arthritis possibly polymyalgia rheumatic
2. blood work with sed rate
3. X rays of the neck for possible osteoarthritis
4. treatment with either anti-inflammatories, prednisone and tramadol
5. Improvement in blood pressure with control of pain
I hope this answers your question. Please contact HCM again with any of your health care concerns
Morning stiffness
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for contacting HCM with your medical questions and concerns
I am sorry to hear that you are waking with morning stiffness in the shoulders and neck. Morning stiffness is a symptom frequently attributed to forms of arthritis. Since the joints affected are just in the neck and shoulders the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis of the neck or a degenerative arthritis. I also think that you may also have polymyalgia rheumatic. This is a more serious form of arthritis that can cause progressive debility. To help determine which type of arthritis you would need to see your doctor to run blood work. The one blood work needed is a sed rate. If your sed rate is very high then you probably have the polymyalgia rheumatic. Treatment for polymyalgia rheumatic is a course of steroids. If this is osteoarthritis then anti-inflammatories and perhaps tramadol may help reduce your overall pain.
The elevated blood pressure in the morning is a result of your increased pain. Once you get better control of your pain the blood pressure should return to normal.
In summary
1. type of arthritis possibly polymyalgia rheumatic
2. blood work with sed rate
3. X rays of the neck for possible osteoarthritis
4. treatment with either anti-inflammatories, prednisone and tramadol
5. Improvement in blood pressure with control of pain
I hope this answers your question. Please contact HCM again with any of your health care concerns
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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