Achy Hip Joints During The Night? Get A Good Night's Sleep With These Tips
Posted on: 30 March 2017
If you can't get a good night's sleep because your hips ache, you may wonder if you're getting old or experiencing something else. Your achy hip joints might be a sign of osteoarthritis, a condition that affects the cartilage covering the ends of your joints. Osteoarthritis can cause significant pain in your joints over time. You can find some temporary relief from your discomfort with the tips below.
Soak Your Hips Every Night
Taking a warm, soothing bath every night helps ease the throbbing pain in your hips. The ends of joints affected by osteoarthritis can rub against each other during movement. The rubbing creates friction, pressure, and swelling in your hips that can feel very painful or uncomfortable. Warm water allows fresh blood to circulate to your hips, which helps alleviate the pressure and swelling in them.
You want to keep your hot water soaking as comfortable as possible. If you have problems sitting on your bathtub's hard surface, invest in a cushioned bathtub mat or body pillow. Make sure that your mat or pillow supports your neck, back, hips, and buttocks. Sometimes, joint conditions can spread to other body areas and cause pain.
Also, keep your water a comfortable temperature, or between 92 and 100 degrees. If the water burns or turns your skin red, it's probably too hot. Measure the water's temperature with a thermometer if necessary.
Now, you're ready to complete your pain relief regimen.
Massage Your Hips Every Other Night
If your hips still feel stiff and uncomfortable after a good soak, take a moment to massage them. Massage may also help improve the circulation in your hip area, but you want to be very gentle. Placing too much pressure on your hip joints might aggravate the pain further.
You don't need any special oils or creams to do the massage. You can use regular body or hand lotion. Place a dime-sized amount of lotion in the palm of one hand, then rub both hands together to warm lotion.
If your hips hurt to lie directly on them, perform the massage standing up. Use light circular strokes to apply the lotion. Massage your hips until they feel warm and free of pain. The massage time may vary, depending on your comfort.
You can follow both tips above until you see an orthopedist for an exam. Even if you feel better, you should still make an appointment to see a specialist. An orthopaedic surgeon can examine your hips and make a proper diagnosis for your pain.
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