Stiffness & Tightness
Key points
- Patients who awaken early in the morning with an unusual stiffness are likely to be suffering from an inflammatory disease like tuberculosis or ankylosing spondylitis.
- Tightness in the back, neck, arms and legs is most often due to changes in the muscles.
- If this type of pain is occurring, there could be a more serious problem, and a physician should rule out metastasis to the spine and severe psychological problems.
- More than 80% of neck and back problems are a result of tight, achy muscles brought on by years of bad posture.
Stiffness
Patients who awaken early in the morning with an unusual stiffness are likely to be suffering from an inflammatory disease like tuberculosis or ankylosing spondylitis. If this type of pain is occurring, there could be a more serious problem, and a physician should rule out metastasis to the spine and severe psychological problems.
Tightness
Tightness in the back, neck, arms and legs is most often due to changes in the muscles. More than 80% of neck and back problems are a result of tight, achy muscles brought on by years of bad posture. Additionally, joint stiffness and pain, which sometimes presents itself as back pain, could mean you are at risk for degenerative osteoarthritis. Studies have shown that there are ways you can help prevent this. Poor posture and a sedentary lifestyle have shown to increase the risk of the condition in later years.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
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