Arthritis is a group of diseases that directly affect the joints, causing symptoms such as pain, swelling, stiffness and limited mobility. This condition occurs when the cartilage covering the ends of bones is worn away or when the immune system mistakenly attacks joint tissue, leading to an inflammatory reaction. The disease can occur at any age but is more common in older people and often progresses chronically, causing long-term effects on quality of life.
There are many different types of arthritis, but the most common include:
- Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis): Occurs due to wear and tear of joint cartilage over time, commonly found in the knees, hips, spine and hands.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease, when the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing chronic inflammation and can affect many other organs.
- Gouty arthritis: Due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints, often causing severe pain in the big toe and can recur many times.
Arthritis Causes Difficulty Sleeping at Night
Deep, uninterrupted sleep is a precious time for the body to recover after a long day, but for many people with painful or stiff joints, especially the elderly, falling asleep is not easy.
The dull pain in the knees, hips, shoulders or back can make them toss and turn, change positions constantly and wake up many times during the night. The cause is not only from arthritis or osteoarthritis, but also from the lack of movement of the joints, the surrounding muscles are stiff, reducing blood circulation and increasing the feeling of pain at night.
What exercises help relax and relieve pain caused by arthritis?
In fact, doing some gentle exercises before bed can help the joints relax, blood circulate better, muscles relax and reduce pain, thereby helping to sleep easier. Unlike daytime workouts, these moves are not meant to increase strength or burn calories, but rather focus on gentle stretching, reducing muscle tension, and supporting joint rest.
Here are 5 effective exercises:
1. Wrist and ankle rotations
Before lying down, you can sit on the edge of the bed or on a chair, gently rotating your wrists and ankles in a circle. This movement helps to “lubricate” the small joints and stimulate blood circulation to the arms and legs. As you rotate, breathe slowly and evenly, feeling each rotation as if you are releasing the remaining stiffness from the day.
2. Hamstring stretch
Hard hamstrings can put pressure on the knees and hips, making these joints more painful at night. Simply sit up straight, one leg extended, the other bent, and slowly bend forward to feel a gentle stretch on the back of your leg. There is no need to try to touch your toes, just keep a comfortable position and breathe deeply. This move relaxes the muscles and helps the knee joints move more flexibly.
3. Stretch the back and hips with the child’s pose
The child’s pose in yoga is a great choice before bed. You kneel, sit on your heels, bend forward and stretch your arms out. Your body weight is placed lightly on your hips and back, helping to reduce pressure on the spine. This pose brings a sense of security, deep relaxation and easily puts the body into a state of rest.
4. Gently rotate the hips
The hips are an important area that connects many muscle groups and joints. Before going to bed, you can lie on your back, bend your knees, and rotate your hips in small circles. This slow movement not only softens the hip joints but also relieves tension in the lumbar region. When doing it, you can imagine yourself “relaxing” all the fatigue flowing out of your body.
5. Stretch your whole body before going to bed
Lie on the bed, stretch your arms above your head and your legs apart, inhale deeply and exhale slowly. This full body stretch is like a “reset” for the body, stretching the joints from the neck, shoulders, back to the knees and ankles. The gentle stretch helps the body receive the signal that it is time to rest.
When you make these exercises a habit every night, you will find that the pain and stiffness in your joints gradually decrease, and the quality of your sleep improves significantly. The most important thing is to listen to your body, do it at a gentle enough level and always combine it with slow breathing.
