Why Do My Hips Hurt When I Sleep On My Side Home Remedies
Hip pain during nighttime can be quiet devastating as it makes impossible for a person to sleep. Pain in hip can be due to the position you sleep or may be due to various other factors. Hip pain is more prominent when you sleep on one side. It can be excruciating or moderate depending on the underlying cause. However, in any circumstances hip pain must be diagnosed as soon as possible and treated. When you spend sleepless nights, your daytime is always unpleasant and tiresome.
Often the pain is not limited to hip joint and it radiates to back and thigh.
What Can I Do For Knee Pain At Night
There are a number of things you can do to help relieve knee pain at night such as gentle exercises, over the counter medication and home remedies such as ice or heat packs, relaxation and deep breathing.
Heres our favourite knee pain at night treatments:
- Apply Ice or Heat Packs:Knee ice wraps typically work better in the short term following an injury, heat pads tends to be better with longer term conditions. Use them for 10-20 minutes before going to bed.
- Elevate Your Legs: Rest with your legs elevated up on cushions or pillows for around 20 minutes before bedtime. This helps to reduce any swelling in the knee. Elevation is most effective when you are lying down with your knee resting higher than the level of your heart.
- Find A Comfortable Sleep Position: If you sleep on your side, try placing a pillow between your knees, if you sleep on your back, try placing a pillow underneath your knee. Make sure you have a good, supportive mattress.
- Take A Warm Bath Before Bedtime: Not only is it relaxing, it also helps to soothe aching joints
- Try Relaxation Techniques: Listen to relaxing music, use visualization techniques, deep breathing or try a meditation app my favourite is Headspace
Youre Not Losing Weight If You Need To Which Could Stress Your Knee Joint
The more you weigh, the more stress is placed on the knee joint, which can trigger an increase in pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons . Whats more, a study published in August 2017 in the journal Radiology found that when overweight and obese adults lost weight over a two-year period, they significantly slowed down their rate of knee cartilage degeneration.
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Knee Pain At Night Causes
Common causes of knee pain at night include sprains and strains, anterior knee pain, menisci or cartilage damage, osteoarthritis tendonitis, bursitis, torn ligaments or tendons, bleeding into the joint, Osgood Shatlers disease, gout, septic arthritis, overuse, and obesity.
Osteoarthritis: This is the most common cause of knee pain at night because when you lay down the muscles surrounding the knee begin to relax. When cartilage between the bones is thin, as seen in osteoarthritis, the bones end up rubbing against each other, causing pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and a form of arthritis. It can contribute to knee pain at night as the immune system wrongfully attacks the joints, thus causing pain and deformity.
Gout: Another type of arthritis, gout is caused by excess uric acid, which forms crystals in the joints, causing pain and swelling. Gout flare-ups are quite common at night.
Trauma or obesity: Injuring the knee or being overweight can cause knee pain at night. Carrying extra weight puts added stress on the knees, so pain can emerge at night when you relax.
Certain medications: Certain medications like statins for cholesterol have been found to lead to nighttime knee pain.
Ankylosing spondylitis: Another autoimmune disease, which typically involves the spine, but may also affects the knees, too. Pain in ankylosing spondylitis worsens when a person is lying down.
How To Relieve Knee Pain At Night
When you finally lay yourself down to sleep after a busy day, the last thing you want to experience is pain that keeps you awake. When knee pain at night sends you tossing and turning, though, there are ways to care for yourself during the day to make it better. Heres your guide to managing and preventing knee pain at night.
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What Should You Do If Your Joints Still Hurt In Cold Weather
If you discover that your joints still hurt after youve applied these tips, you need to talk to a physical therapist or orthopedist. Give us a call now to book an appointment with OrthoBethesda. Well do a full examination on your joints to determine whether the pain you feel is due to a health condition.
Take A Nighttime Pain Reliever
There are several types of over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers specifically intended to both relieve pain and help you sleep better.
Taking a medications daily can put you at greater risk for other health problems, so consider these only if other approaches for reducing pain and getting good sleep do not work. Also, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure your sleep aid does not interact with any other medications or supplements you take.
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When To See A Doctor
A person should speak to their doctor if the pain in their knees is getting worse or not improving.
In some cases, a doctor may suggest changing the time someone takes their medication to help relief last longer through the night. In other cases, the doctor may recommend higher doses or changes in medications.
A healthcare provider may also suggest additional therapies. Physical therapy may help reduce knee pain and improve sleep quality.
In more severe cases, a doctor may suggest surgical options. Surgery can either repair damaged joints or replace a joint. In either case, the goal is to restore lost motion in the joint and alleviate pain.
/6here Is The Reason Why Your Knees Hurt At Night
Muscle tightness and joint pain bother most people at night. For some, it is a sporadic event, which happens after a long and chaotic day, while for others it is an everyday affair. Considering it a normal event, most of the time people take over-the-counter pain relievers and go back to sleep. But at times these aches and pain are a result of a larger issue that warrants further attention. If knee pain is something that disturbs your sleep every night then we suggest you visit your doctor as it is not something that you can afford to ignore.
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Is Exercise Helpful Or Should I Rather Rest The Knee
Exercising a knee that causes you pain may seem counterproductive. But research shows that staying active relieves pain, swelling, and stiffness of joints afflicted by arthritis, gout, or other chronic diseases.
Moderate exercise helps you keep full motion of the knee and strengthens the muscles supporting the joint. These positive effects can be achieved with different types of exercise, such as cardio, strength, and coordination.
If you exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, five days per week, you should experience better mobility and less pain within four to six weeks. You can even break the half-hour down into three 10-minute sessions each day if that works better for you.
If the pain gets worse during or after exercise, you should consider
- Lowering the intensity
Youre Trying To Relax
When your body is at rest, you may notice the mild to moderate pains that you could more easily ignore when your mind was preoccupied with busy thoughts during your waking hours.Additionally, when you sleep, your body produces less cortisol. While high cortisol levels can lead to heart disease, healthier levels can help your body reduce inflammation.
Since most joint pains are caused by or worsened by inflammation, moderate amounts of cortisol can help your body manage this inflammation. But when your body is relaxed, such as when youre trying to go to sleep, your body has less cortisol to mitigate the swelling and irritation in your knees.
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How To Prevent Knee Pain At Night
Lose Weight
One method to treat knee pain at night while sleeping is to lose weight, thus eliminating additional pressure to the joint. The additional, unnecessary weight can cause extreme pressure on your knees, resulting in anterior knee pain. The best way to do this is a multi-prong approach, including a healthy diet and ample exercise.
Exercise
Physical activity and losing weight go hand in hand. That is why its no surprise that active exercise is the next step in preventing knee pain when sleeping. Cardio and aerobic activities, including swimming, walking, cycling, and water aerobics, are good cardio exercises. If you already suffer from knee pain, focus on water exercises. Exercises also improve sleep, helps eliminate stress, and promotes good posture. Tai chi and yoga can also help you with pain management and improve your bodys overall balance. If youre not certain what exercise is appropriate for your knee pain while sleeping, talk to your doctor or physical therapist.
Good Sleep Position
Your sleep position can better or worsen your sleep position. If you sleep at an awkward angle, the result can cause knee pain at night while sleeping. Finding a good sleep position is an essential part of dealing with knee pain while sleeping because your body needs to gain restorative sleep to rebuild for the next day.
Adjustable Bed
The Yaasa One sleep system can relieve stress, produce quality sleep, improve physical health, and provide pain relief.
Find A Good Sleeping Position
A comfortable sleep position and support in a bed can make a big difference by both relieving and preventing knee pain when a person is sleeping.
It is important when sleeping to provide some extra support to the knees. To do this, a person can try using a pillow to prop up their knees and provide additional support.
People who sleep on their backs can place the pillow under their knees, while people who sleep on their sides can put it between their knees.
The pillow will provide comfortable support and help take some of the pressure off the knees.
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When You Should See A Doctor
If your hip pain is regularly keeping you from sleep or waking you up at night, see your doctor.
They may check for tenderness and swelling around your hip. Theyll also assess the range of motion of your hip for signs of arthritis and tendonitis. Reduced motion is a sign of arthritis.
They may also take blood or fluid samples, or order X-rays to rule out various conditions.
Go to an urgent care facility or to an emergency room if your hip pain is caused from an injury.
Also seek immediate care if you have any of these symptoms:
- a joint that looks deformed
- inability to move your leg or hip
- inability to put weight on the leg with the sore hip
- intense pain or sudden swelling in your hip
Can Lying On Your Side Cause Hip Pain
If youre a side sleeper and your mattress is too hard, it could cause some discomfort in the hip area because the mattress is stimulating your pressure points by not contouring to your body. Equally, a mattress that is too soft will cause your hips to sink, putting pressure on your spine. Side sleepers find ultimate comfort in a mattress that provides optimal pressure relief.
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Why Does My Pain Seem To Get Worse At Night
The answer is probably due to a few different reasons. The levels of your natural anti-inflammatory hormone, cortisol, are naturally lower at night. Staying still in the same position will also cause your knee joints to stiffen up. Another reason could be related to how your brain perceives pain and this may change in the small hours.
Your perception of pain is more pronounced at night or to put it another way your pain thresholds are lower at night. Your other senses are distracting you during the day when there is more noise and more going on around you, these distractions are no longer there at night.
In other words, youll notice your pain more at night, so it bothers you more.
Knee Replacement Pain At Night
Knee replacement surgery is often the treatment of last resort when other conservative measures have failed to address painful damage to the knee. A total knee replacement removes the kneecap and removes or repairs damaged bone and other surfaces before inserting an artificial replacement. Partial knee replacement surgery is less invasive and preserves the parts of the joint that are healthy.
The level of your knee replacement pain at night depends on which type of knee replacement surgery you get. The recovery time for total knee replacement can be from one to three months. Partial knee replacement offers a faster recovery time of a week or two. Regardless, during recovery, knee replacement pain at night can be extreme and make daytime activities even more challenging.
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What Can You Do For Pain In Hips And Knees
The first recommendation I make, if the pain is not chronic, is to exercise correctly. The saying No Pain, No Gain, does not hold true when it comes to hip and knee pain. Especially if the pain comes from arthritis. Switching to a low-impact exercise, like a stationary bike, stair stepper, rowing machine, or yoga are great options. Swimming is an excellent exercise that doesnt place weight on your hips and knees.
Sometimes the answer can be as simple as an orthotic insert in your shoe to help distribute weight away from your arthritic joint. Other non-intrusive solutions include oral anti-inflammatories, such as Tylenol or Motrin. Braces can also be helpful. In many cases, pain can also be controlled through corticosteroid or lubricant injections. Physical therapy can greatly improve the range of motion and strengthen the muscles around the joint to take pressure off of the joint.
You are in good hands with the surgeons of JOI. You can consult with your MD to see which procedure is the best option for YOU!
Why Does My Knee Hurt When Its Cold
You may feel pain in different parts of your body. But cold weather discomfort occurs mainly in the hips, knees and ankles. This happens more when you run regularly. If you tend to spend more time exercising in the cold, youll put more pressure on weight-bearing joints. As explained earlier, the pain you feel could be caused by restricted blood flow to the joints or changes in pressure.
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Change Your Sleep Position
Switching your sleep position could offer some immediate relief from hip pain when sleeping. If youre a side sleeper, try sleeping on your back and see how it feels. Although you will instinctively roll to your favored position, do your best to stay on your back. Side sleepers can also find relief with the following tips.
Home Remedies For Hip Pain While Sleeping
Pain in hip joint must not be neglected as it acts as a major supporting joint for the body. If you are suffering from hip joint while sleeping on one side, first ensure that your sleeping position is correct. Look out your mattress if it is too soft or too hard. Sleep on mattress that is not too soft or too hard. Memory foam mattress is useful as it supports your body while sleeping. While sleeping, keep a pillow between your knees so that the hip is properly aligned.
Secondly consult a physical therapist. He will be able to recommend certain exercises that will be beneficial in supporting your hip joint when you are asleep. Stop smoking as it helps to reduce pain in hip. Regular massage on hip area is beneficial for reducing long standing hip pain. Sleep on the side that is not painful if you have got the habit of sleeping on one side. Alternately sleep on your back.
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Wake Up And Make A Pot Of Tea:
Green and white teas are rich in polyphenol, a compound that has antioxidant effects. Green tea is generally viewed as the most beneficial of all because its active ingredient is a polyphenol known as epigallocatechin 3-gallate . EGCG has been shown to be as much as 100 times stronger in antioxidant activity than vitamins C and E. *Studies have shown it also helps preserve cartilage and bone, although there are no widespread controlled trials of it in people with arthritis.Bonus: add in a bit of local honey for an added boost of antioxidant and antiviral properties. Avoid these types of teas at night because of the caffeine content.
Try Meditation Or Deep Breathing
Any mental technique that can help you relax before bed is worth it. Arthritis patient Cindi Arnsdorff , a CreakyJoints Patient Council member, uses three go-to visualizations. I close my eyes and picture myself on a Caribbean Island, lying in a downy soft bed with the doors open to the sounds of waves lapping on the beach outside my window, she says. Another trick is literally counting sheep: I visualize sheep jumping over a stump and count them in my mind. Never have I gotten to one hundred.
Another exercise Arnsdorff likes is to visualize a flickering candle and to quietly chant om until her mind is cleared.
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