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A Stiff Knee in the Morning - Does it Have You "Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed"?

By Daniel Sims

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 03May2009 Word count: 569 Viewed: 2332 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

How do your knees feel in the morning?

Do you have pain when you wake up, or does the pain come on during the A.M. or P.M. hours? - Hopefully not both!

If you suffer from a stiff knee in the morning, you may have the onset of osteoarthritis, a condition that commonly affects the knees and causes the deterioration of the joint. Osteoarthritis is an incurable condition that can strike anyone at any age, although it is more common in older individuals.

Several other problems can lead to your knee being stiff as well. Ligament damage or meniscal tears can create this problem as well.

Here are a few things you should consider if you have a constant stiff knee in the morning:

1.) Talk to your doctor

2.) Maintain a healthy weight

3.) Stick with an anti-inflammation diet

4.) Remain active

5.) Take painkillers when needed

6.) Wear a knee brace

Osteoarthritis is not a life threatening condition, although it can be crippling. Unfortunate but true in many cases. Ligament injuries and meniscus tears can feel crippling at times too. - Maybe you can relate? If you experience a repeated stiff knee in the morning, you can stave off the effects and symptoms of this condition by taking the right steps.

Talk to your Doctor

Only your doctor can diagnose osteoarthritis or other knee ailments. You should not make the mistake of trying to diagnose these conditions on your own. Your doctor will most likely do a clinical examination, ask you some questions and ask you to do an x-ray or MRI. This is nothing to be alarmed about and can help give you a firm diagnosis.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

If you are overweight, you will want to trim down in order to keep the stress off your knees. Most people who experience a stiff knee in the morning do so because they have osteoarthritis, ligament or meniscus problems and are overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight can keep the stiff knee from acting up and keep inflammation down.

Remain Active (Physician approved activities please!)

If the doctor has diagnosed arthritis or osteoarthritis of the knee, then it is important that you remain active. While you may be tempted to stay off the knee because of pain, this may not help the condition and can hasten joint deterioration. Swimming and walking are two good exercises that can help your knee. Wearing a knee brace and proper shoes will help. Braces can really help you maintain proper knee alignment and the support that they provide can really help reduce your knee pain.

Take Painkillers, But Only When Needed

Painkillers can be addictive and cause a tolerance in the system. Moreover, pain killers can hurt your stomach. You should only take this kind of medication when absolutely necessary and if the pain is unbearable.

Wear a Knee Brace

A knee brace will support your knee by helping to maintain proper alignment. An affordable and low profile brace can help keep your knee from getting stiff and can help give you instant relief from the pain.

If you believe that you can benefit from pain reduction and increased stability due to the symptoms of osteoarthritis or other knee ailments then you should consider a knee support today. Many OA or "unloader" knee supports can be very effective for OA, and there are a myriad of different supports for meniscus and liagment issues as well.

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