skin irritation and burns by having a towel or clothing layer in between your skin and the heating pad.
You can find relief for smaller areas of the body like the hands and fingers, by soaking a small towel under warm water and placing it around your hands to apply heat and leaving it on for 10 to 20 minutes.
Warm Showers or Baths
Taking a warm shower or bath in the morning will also help loosen your joints up and improve blood flow. This is a relaxing option that can decrease your muscle tension and leave you feeling more flexible in the morning.
Time Regulated Thermostat
A Regular Sleep Schedule
If you aren’t getting an adequate amount of sleep every night, it can be hard for your body to fight inflammation. This can lead to joint stiffness and psoriatic arthritis flare-ups. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
Uninterrupted sleep is also crucial because it allows the body to rejuvenate and detoxify from inflammation. If you aren’t getting adequate sleep, your body won’t have enough time to repair and recover from daily stressors and toxins.
Extra Time in the Morning
If you are one of those people that like to hit snooze a couple of times before getting out of bed, you may want to try waking up earlier than usual. This will give you extra time to allow your joints to loosen up so that you can go about your daily tasks with ease. Waking up 30 to 60 minutes earlier is enough time to help with this.
Anti-inflammatory Diet
Gluten, dairy, sugar, artificial flavors and preservatives are all inflammatory foods that can worsen the inflammation throughout your body.
A Regular Medication Schedule
Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means medication is often required to manage symptoms and decrease inflammation throughout the body.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used over-the-counter (OTC) to help decrease pain and inflammation. Biologic injections will also help decrease autoimmune processes in the body and slow disease progression.
If you are taking medications, it is important to stay on schedule. This will help decrease the severity of your psoriatic symptoms and the level of your joint inflammation, pain and stiffness.
When to see a doctor
Certain modifications to your morning routine can help decrease morning stiffness and joint pain. However, if your stiffness and joint pain haven’t improved with these methods, it may be time to consult with your doctor about what other methods can help you manage your symptoms.