I have stiffness and pain in the shoulders after waking up in the morning. What is the cause?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am 22 years old female. I am waking up with stiffness in my shoulder and ankles. It got started before three months. Before three weeks, I waked up with pain and stiffness in my right shoulder with limited range of motion. Now, I have stiffness on both of my shoulders and ankles when I wake up. The stiffness in my ankles goes away in a few minutes. But the stiffness and pain in the shoulder lasts throughout the day. What is the reason?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You might have pain originating in the neck. It can cause spasm and stiffness in the shoulder. Posture during sleeping can also aggravate the spasm and it leads to stiffness in the shoulder. Get your neck and shoulder assessed properly. Try to drink a lot of fluids and ice up the shoulder on the backside and neck. Try to do gentle neck stretches and it helps to relax the shoulders. Try to massage the neck and shoulder followed by icing to regain the range. Do some basic shoulder movements and mobility exercises.