Many people often wake up feeling back pain, shoulder and neck pain or aches in limbs even though they do not have obvious injuries. This condition is quite common and can stem from many different causes, from daily living habits to health problems that need to be monitored.
According to Dr. Gurjyot Singh Nanda, an internist consultant at Fortis Jalandhar Hospital (India), one of the common causes is inappropriate sleeping positions. When the body maintains a position for a long time or sleeps in the wrong position, pressure can be put on the spine, joints and muscle groups. This condition is even more likely to occur if you use old mattresses, lose elasticity, or pillows that are not suitable for the body structure.
In addition to sleeping posture, high-intensity physical activity can also cause body aches the next morning. Heavy exercises, heavy object lifts, high-intensity sports or vigorous exercise after a period of little activity can cause microbial damage to muscles. This is a natural reaction of the body when adapting to new levels of exercise.
This condition is often called late onset muscle aches. Symptoms can appear 12 to 24 hours after exercise and last for several days. Patients often feel muscle stiffness, pain when pressing on the affected muscle area, and reduced flexibility, especially in the lower back, shoulders, or legs.
Some other factors can also make the pain worse. For example, insufficient warm-up before exercise can make muscles vulnerable. In addition, lack of water, insufficient sleep, or unsustainable post-exercise recovery can also slow down the body's recovery ability.
In many cases, the feeling of pain after waking up is only temporary and will improve when the body is reasonably rested. However, if this condition persists or appears frequently, patients should not be subjective.
Dr. Gurjyot Singh Nanda said that morning body aches can sometimes be related to underlying health problems such as arthritis, vitamin D deficiency, thyroid disorders, fibromyalgia syndrome or some viral infections. These are conditions that need to be assessed and treated appropriately.
Patients should see a doctor if the pain lasts for many weeks, causing limited movement or accompanied by symptoms such as prolonged fatigue, swollen joints, muscle weakness or affecting daily activities. Identifying the correct cause will help choose an effective treatment method instead of just using painkillers to temporarily reduce symptoms.
