General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles

by Frank



hi again from over the pond

have seen my physical therapist and the diagnosis seems to be tendonitis....yes that word again....of both my peroneal tendons and achilles.

I have rested up off the heavy walking and are cycling and swimming more

I have been fitted with an orthotic insert

question I have is this......the doctor I saw said that given my age ...43...it is not uncommon to wake up in thne mornings with stiff ankles

rather than pop meds, will " ice attack " in the mornings with a dixie cup be as good a therapy as anything ?

is ice as good for stiffness as it is for inflammation ?

thank u



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Joshua Answers:


Hey Frank.

I rather imagine that your doctor is correct, that it is not uncommon for 43+ year olds to wake up with stiff ankles.

And therefore what? It's normal? How it's supposed to be? Uncorrectable?

Were meds his 'solution'?


Icing is great for stiffness and soreness. Among other things, stiffness is a function of muscles getting tighter over time and connective tissue shrinkwrapping.

Interestingly enough, just like that's a function of the Tendonitis dynamic.

It's all about the
Pain Causing Dynamic, my friend.

We're always either going up an Upward Spiral, or going down a Downward Spiral into tightness and pain. Fast or slow, that's how it goes.

And we can help ourselves go in either direction.

I believe that I mentioned it before, to warm your feet and lower legs up before you put your weight on them first thing in the morning. Ice dipping and ice massage would be great too.

Circulation. More! More! More!

So essentially the answer to your question is, icing is just as good for stiffness as it is for inflammation. It's all connected.




Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com
















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Comments for General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles

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Nov 09, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 2 - meds as a last option - General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles
by: Anonymous

how do I warm my feet and ankles up in the morning before weight bearing ?

my doc has been very good...have mentioned " ice attack " ( your words ) , he says to only use meds like aspirin when in a lot of pain and wants me to try this foot insert he has made as he thinks I over pronate which puts pressure on achilles and ankle in general and increases soreness

what sort of natural remedies together with regular ice therapy can I try ?

your broth ?

any supplements ?

glucosarmine ?

I posted before as paul from over here in wales near london if you remember me but the name must have been taken ?


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Joshua Comments:

Hey Paul.

No, there was no name other than what was on the email, so I went with Frank:)

Bone Broth as the best Tendon Supplements, yes. And more protein.

Omega 3's.

Can't hurt to get your B6 and B12 levels up.

Make sure your Vitamin D level is well within the range.

Certainly try that insert. Not a fix, but could very well keep you out of pain for a long long time.


Warm your feet up in before you get out of bed by wriggling your toes around, your foot around, massage the muscles of your feet and calves for a minute. Just to wake things up and get some new blood in there.


Nov 12, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 3 - hello again - General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles
by: Anonymous

my shoulder also gets stiff...again probably just one of those things at my age....

can an ice cup massage on the shoulder blade and trapezius etc also help with stiffness?


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Joshua Comments:

Movement, exercise, strengthening, and ICE!

Ice is your friend. For every ache, pain, stiffness, etc. It forces old stuff out and the body pushes new blood and nutrition in.

I finish every single shower I take on full cold.



Nov 13, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 4 - hiya again - General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles
by: Anonymous

just boiled up some bones for the broth

one a week and use it in soups and vegetable stews ?

I am mostly vegetarian

thinking of it...could this be one of the reasons why my tendonitis persists , along with not enough " ice attack "?


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Joshua Comments:

If you have tendon or connective tissue damage, and you don't have enough building blocks of various sorts, then you literally won't heal fully, or efficiently, or completely, etc.

Bone broth can be used in soups, as a stock, consume, over rice, poach eggs in it, etc.

I find it's a pain in the ass to keep enough of it around, but it just feels worth it nutritionally when I eat it.

Also, vegetarians tend to be Vitamin B12 deficient. May or may not be a player in your pain isssues.


Nov 18, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 5 - diet - General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles
by: Anonymous

I am going to drop my almost totally meat free diet and being in chicken, fish ( tuna) and more eggs

I dont like red meat at all I am afraid

I also have some whey powder so I am going to aim to have one shake a day of a banana, low fat milk, spoon of peanut butter and a scoop of whey

You cant get enough protein?


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Joshua Comments:

You aren't in danger of getting too much protein.

Different authorities say different things. Some experts say lots of protein is good, some say it's bad.

Everything's bad for you, depending on who you talk to.

I'll go with the for sure benefits of, and theoretical dangers of lots of protein.

This is the only Protein supplement that I order online. Pro-Optimal Whey from Mercola

It is whey protein concentrate, but makes a good case for why that is a good idea, and is an overall healthy powder that has a lot of good stuff in it plus protein.

I alternate it with a pure whey protein isolate supplement. You can get these anywhere, preferabbly a healthier kind of store. Or a supplements place. My favorite brand is 'Now'.

Most are protein concentrate, and have a bunch of 'what is that?' stuff in it. Go for pure whey protein isolate.

I put it in my morning oatmeal, have a shake, etc.

As far as dropping the almost meat free diet, I'm generally a fan of eating meat when/if you need to. I'd say you need to. And definitely do some soups and consume's with the bone broth.

And you'll be ok without the red meat:)

Nov 24, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		PART 6 - you are so helpful joshua - General stiffness and soreness in the morning, doctor says it's common to wake up with stiff ankles
by: Anonymous

I cannot find that whey you suggest on line here in england but I will go to the local health store who are very good and will get the best they can for me

I have made a beef bones broth and stuck the rest away in the fridge so when I make my vegetarian broth , I will add scoops of this to it

I dont stay away from meat for any ethical or animal cruelty reasons....so I will take your advice and bring in more meat into my diet

by the way I also tried to make a bone broth from chicken ....but it doesnt taste as nice as the beef bone broth !!


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Joshua Comments:

You're welcome!

Yeah, I prefer beef bone broth too. Chicken broth just doesn't seem as dense or hearty. Technically it has less good stuff in it too.

Still, it's an option, and for differen't tastes and recipes.

I often do just bones for a while, and later close to eating throw in veges, if I want to make a combined broth/stock.




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