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What Causes Stiffness In The Shoulder Upon Waking Up?
stiff left shoulder in the morning or if the arm has been at rest for long time. seems concentrated in the front part of the shoulder joint. some pain breaking thru the stiffness, stiffness goes away with movement. most pain goes away with movement, lifting left arm straight up from the side like drawing a pistol from a holster still continues to be a bit discomforting.
Sat, 15 Oct 2016
Hello,
I understand your concern. Stiffness of the joints is a sign of arthritis, a disease caused by inflammation and wear and tear. Joint stiffness is usually worse in the morning of after long periods of rest and this is cause by changes in the structure of the collagen fibers inside the joints due to inflammation. There are many ways of relieving shoulder stiffness, such as applying heat packs on the area, taking a hot shower first thing in the morning, because heat relaxes the muscles and improves the circulation.
Cold also helps relieve the stiffness and pain by numbing down the nerves and reducing the swelling caused by inflammation. You can decide if cold or heat works better for you. In any case, you should not apply either for more than 20 minutes.
Physical therapy and over the counter pain medication such as acetaminophen are also of great help.
Wishing you all the best
I understand your concern. Stiffness of the joints is a sign of arthritis, a disease caused by inflammation and wear and tear. Joint stiffness is usually worse in the morning of after long periods of rest and this is cause by changes in the structure of the collagen fibers inside the joints due to inflammation. There are many ways of relieving shoulder stiffness, such as applying heat packs on the area, taking a hot shower first thing in the morning, because heat relaxes the muscles and improves the circulation.
Cold also helps relieve the stiffness and pain by numbing down the nerves and reducing the swelling caused by inflammation. You can decide if cold or heat works better for you. In any case, you should not apply either for more than 20 minutes.
Physical therapy and over the counter pain medication such as acetaminophen are also of great help.
Wishing you all the best
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