Waking Up Sore?

Did you exercise the day before?

Why Is My Body Sore When I Wake Up?

There are a few different reasons this can happen.

Reason #1

If you exercised a lot the day before you woke up with sore muscles, you probably have a build up of lactic acid. Lactic acid is a by-product of muscles using their fuel to do work. Think of it like the exhaust from your car. When the lactic acid builds up in your muscles, they swell slightly and then push on nerves. Over time, your body will clear the lactic acid from your muscles, but you can speed up the process. Drinking water helps. Also, putting a cold pack on your sore muscle will relieve pain by contracting the muscle and blood vessels. This squeezes the lactic acid out of the muscle and then your body clears if from your system.

Cold Therapy:

1. Use ice cubes (in ziplock), cold pack, frozen peas/corn.

2. Put In a thin towel, damp on one side.

3. Put damp side directly on skin.

4. Do not lie on it.

5. Time: 12 - 15 minutes (no more, no less).

6. Wait 90 - 120 minutes to re-apply.

Reason #2

Another reason we are stiff and sore in the morning is that we haven’t been moving during the night. While we sleep, our heart rate goes down, our breathing slows and our body temperature lowers. This changes the lubrication of our muscles, fascia and joints. The lubrication thickens and doesn’t allow tissues to glide easily over each other. Getting up and moving helps to warm and soften the lubricant and reduce stiffness and pain. Heat also helps. A bath, shower or heating pad can help speed the softening of the lubricant and ease our stiffness.

Heat Therapy:

1. Use electric heating pad, or re-heatable pad.

2. Moderate heat, do not burn skin.

3. Do not lie on it. Put it on you.

4. Time: 5 - 15 minutes.

5. If you get stiff 15 - 20 minutes after taking it off, use cold instead!

Reason #3

It is typical that we wake up stiff, but if it lasts longer than 30 minutes, it may indicate an underlying problem like arthritis. This can be treated once the specific muscles causing pain are identified and a proper stretching and strengthening routine created to ease the pain and keep it at bay.

Make sure to schedule your Chiropractic maintenance appointments to keep yourself in top shape!

Call us at: 905-453-1806 - Ask for Dr. Doug!

Book online: Online Booking

Email us at: info@drdoug.ca

Visit our website: www.drdoug.ca