As you age, joint movement becomes stiffer and less flexible because the amount of lubricating fluid inside your joints decreases and the cartilage becomes thinner. Ligaments also tend to shorten and lose some flexibility, making joints feel stiff.
It is not uncommon to feel 'wobbly' or unsteady on your feet after sitting for a long period. It can be due to reduced blood flow, tight muscles and ligaments, fluid pooled in the body's lower extremities, or pins and needles sensations in the feet.
Common causes of muscle stiffness
You may also feel stiffness after periods of inactivity, like when you get out of bed in the morning or get out of a chair after sitting for a long time. Sprains and strains are the most common reasons for muscle stiffness.
The muscle-tendon complex becomes more rigid and, since tendon stiffness is reduced in elderly, muscle stiffness is expected to increase. Such increase is likely due to change in ECM and connective tissue, although some data on single fibers also suggest a contribution due to increased stiffness of single fibers.
Exercise can prevent many age-related changes to muscles, bones and joints – and reverse these changes as well. It's never too late to start living an active lifestyle and enjoying the benefits.
Stretching and exercises like yoga and Pilates can help keep your muscles long and limber, and can help when you're feeling sore, too. If your muscles are hurting, try RICE therapy and over-the-counter pain medicine. See your doctor if you're in a lot of pain.
Consuming healthy fats can increase joint health and lubrication. Foods high in healthy fats include salmon, trout, mackerel, avocados, olive oil, almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds. The omega-3 fatty acids in these foods will assist in joint lubrication.
People who have low levels of vitamin D often have joint pain. Vitamin D supplements may treat joint pain in some people who have a vitamin D deficiency.
Regular exercise can help those stiff, painful joints. It also keeps bones and muscles strong. Choose exercises such as gentle stretching, resistance training, and low-impact aerobics (swimming, water aerobics).
Infections. Injuries, such as fractures (broken bones), sprains, and tendinitis. Movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. Neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis and peripheral nerve disorders.
As you sleep, the plantar fascia remains still rather than stretching and relaxing as it would if you were awake and moving. Because it doesn't get to stretch, it slowly constricts and becomes tighter. This can make walking in the morning quite painful until the ligament has a chance to loosen up from being active.
Leg pain can have many causes, but your description of aching after prolonged standing or sitting suggests a possible buildup of fluid in the leg veins (chronic venous disease, venous insufficiency).
Taking magnesium can help to reduce arthritic pain and inflammation. It may be beneficial to take magnesium supplements or eat foods rich in magnesium if you are experiencing arthritic pain. Magnesium has not been shown to reverse arthritis.
Several nutritional supplements have shown promise for relieving pain, stiffness and other arthritis symptoms. Glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3 fatty acids, SAM-e and curcumin are just some of the natural products researchers have studied for osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Bananas and Plantains are high in magnesium and potassium that can increase bone density. Magnesium may also alleviate arthritis symptoms.
Osteoarthritis symptoms can usually be managed, although the damage to joints can't be reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and receiving certain treatments might slow progression of the disease and help improve pain and joint function.
Vitamin D
Studies have shown that people with low levels of vitamin D tend to suffer from joint pain more frequently. Vitamin D also assists in the body's absorption of calcium.
Glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3, and green tea are just a few of them. Glucosamine helps keep the cartilage in joints healthy and may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Natural glucosamine levels drop as people age. Chondroitin is often used with glucosamine as an osteoarthritis treatment.
Many people will experience joint stiffness as they age. Most often this stiffness will wear off after a person gets up and moves around. Other people, however, may experience joint stiffness as a result of an underlying condition.
The natural lubricant of the joints is called hyaluronic acid (HA). This lubricant in concentrated form can be injected into a joint to increase lubrication.
Cold will reduce swelling and heat will relax the muscles and joints. Steroids can aid in reducing swelling and inflammation that causes stiffness. Physical therapy and exercise help in improving mobility and maintaining a healthy weight, which can, in turn, reduce joint stiffness.
According to the research, the average American starts feeling old at the age of 47. Similarly, the average respondent starts to really worry about age-related bodily changes around 50 years old.
Yes! You can and should take magnesium and vitamin D together. In fact, the bioavailability of vitamin D largely relies on magnesium. Also, many nutrients wouldn't work efficiently without magnesium, further highlighting the importance of this mineral!