A glass of water and five minutes of warm-up: a neurologist on how to beat morning joint stiffness

Many are familiar with the feeling: in the morning, the first steps are given with difficulty, the knees “do not bend”, the fingers are fettered, the back seems to have frozen – and only after an hour the body gradually “disintegrates”. The reason is not always age: often the main culprit of morning stiffness is lack of water. Russian neurologist Sergei Dlin told why in the morning joints are especially pinched.

According to Sergey Length, a joint is not just a joint of bones: its ends are covered with cartilage - in fact, a dense wet sponge, and there is joint fluid between the bones.

- It works both as a lubricant and as a source of nutrition for cartilage: it has no blood vessels, so it receives all the necessary substances from this liquid. During the night, the body loses water - we do not drink 7-8 hours and additionally lose moisture with breathing. By morning, the body is slightly dehydrated, and the joint fluid thickens. It turns out that in the morning we “turn on” the joints, when their “lubrication” is no longer so fluid. Hence the feeling of “rusted” knees, he explained.

As noted by the doctor, the common fear that water in the age allegedly harms the joints, nothing is justified:

- It's not water that hurts, it's lack of water. With a lack of moisture, the body triggers compensatory mechanisms: for example, it produces a hormone that can draw calcium from the bones to maintain balance in the blood. Dryness is a bigger problem than water.

Two basic steps that help restore joint mobility:

Drink a glass of water immediately after waking up. "" Drink slowly, in small sips, the water should be at room temperature or slightly warm. After 20-30 minutes, moisture will begin to be distributed to the tissues, the joint fluid will become more fluid, and the cartilage will absorb water and restore elasticity. Do a light warm-up. Walk around the apartment, stretch, gently bend your knees and fingers - so you warm up your joints and improve blood circulation.

Continue drinking a little water throughout the day. But if there are problems with the heart or kidneys, the volume of fluid should be selected by a doctor.

- Water is the foundation of joint support, but not the cure for all diseases. If you notice swelling and fever in the joint area, severe and persistent pain, stiffness in the mornings longer than half an hour every day - this can be a sign of inflammation, and in this case, a doctor's consultation is necessary, added Sergey Dlin.

Remember: water is not able to cure arthrosis or return young cartilage, but regular drinking regimen and movement help maintain joint health. Sometimes taking care of them begins not with pills, but with a glass of water and a couple of minutes of simple exercises.

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