The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and sometimes stiffness in the affected joints. The pain tends to be worse when you move the joint or at the end of the day. Your joints may feel stiff after rest, but this usually wears off fairly quickly once you get moving. Symptoms may vary for no obvious reason.
Doctors do not fully understand why arthritis pain often worsens at night, but possible causes involve changes in the levels of hormones and cytokines, which are cell-signaling proteins, in the body. Daytime arthritis medication, which some people take during the morning, may also wear off by the evening.
Adopting a "good-health attitude" and healthy habits, such as eating a balanced diet, staying at a healthy weight, and getting enough sleep, will make you feel better and help you stay active. When you think in a positive way, you may be more able to: Care for yourself and handle the challenges of arthritis.
In osteoarthritis, the joint isn't moving much at night, so it's not getting the lubrication it needs to slide smoothly, says Macgillivray. Morning stiffness associated with osteoarthritis typically subsides after 30 minutes or less as you get up, move around and pump lubrication through the stiff joint.
“Osteoarthritis often flares after overexertion of the joint or joints that are involved,” Dr. Ashany says. With OA, “unexpected activity can stress out the joints and surrounding tissues and cause pain,” Dr. Bose says.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain.
High-Intensity Exercises – For those with knee osteoarthritis, high-intensity exercises such as sports and deep lunges can exacerbate the condition.
Pain typically worsens with use of the affected joint and is alleviated with rest. Pain at rest or nocturnal pain is a feature of severe osteoarthritis. Morning stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes is common.
Your levels of cortisol, a hormone that helps control inflammation, are lower at night. Lying down can cause inflammatory chemicals to pool in the fluid that cushions your joints, which makes them stiffen up.
In most cases, your body repairs the damage itself and you do not experience any symptoms. But in osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. Bony growths can develop, and the area can become swollen and red.
It's also strongly linked to conditions that can cause long-term pain, such as fibromyalgia, polymyalgia rheumatica and complex regional pain syndrome. People with osteoarthritis have also reported having fatigue.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve), taken at the recommended doses, typically relieve osteoarthritis pain. Stronger NSAIDs are available by prescription.
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do when you have arthritis. There are lots of reasons you should walk for exercise: You'll burn calories, improve your balance, and boost your heart health. Your bones will get stronger and so will your muscles.
This is essentially what happens to a lesser degree while you sleep – your joints stiffen from inactivity. Arthritis in your ankles, knees, hips, and the joints in your feet can make for awkward, painful movement when you wake. As with plantar fasciitis, the key is to start slowly and warm up before getting up.
But whether it's mild or severe, you can take some steps to ease the joint pain and swelling by resting it, applying an ice or heat pack and taking an over-the-counter analgesic, like acetaminophen (Tylenol), or NSAID, like ibuprofen or naproxen.
Side sleepers should lie on the hip that isn't painful, and place one or more pillows between the legs. When lying on your back, place a pillow or rolled up blanket beneath your knees and possibly another under the small of your back. When sleeping on your back, place pillows beneath your knees.
Positioning: Sit upright with square shoulders. Your shoulders should be relaxed but not slumped. Hold your shoulders in the same position when you're sitting as you would when you're standing. Your hips and knees should be at 90-degree angles.
Friction would come from activities like deep knee bending or knee lunges that require you to bend and hold a knee position for an extended period. Those activities can make your knee arthritis symptoms worse, and you'll want to avoid that so the joint can calm down.
Some people have a lot of pain and mobility problems from a small amount of damage, while others have a lot of damage to the joint but few or no symptoms. If you have severe osteoarthritis, you may find some of your daily activities more difficult depending on which joints are affected.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that worsens over time, often resulting in chronic pain. Joint pain and stiffness can become severe enough to make daily tasks difficult. Depression and sleep disturbances can result from the pain and disability of osteoarthritis.
Injuries cause OA flare-ups if they damage the cartilage, bone, or both. Injuries from accidents or sporting activities may change the mechanics of the joint, thus triggering further deterioration characterized by constant flare-ups. OA is a degenerative condition that gets worse with age.
Arthritis flare-ups can be variable, but they generally last three to five days with conservative care. Home care can include anti-inflammatory medicines, changing activities, and using ice, compression, or bracing.
Anyone with osteoarthritis, especially in joints that aren't covered by a lot of muscle, might potentially benefit from Voltaren gel. These include the hands wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, or feet.