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http://southlandchiroclinic.com/, http://www.southlandchiropracticclinic.com/

Jack HT Hakimian, D.C., 24309 Southland Drive, Hayward, CA (2026)

08/11/2026

Southland Chiropractic Clinic Newsletter

Road Trip Ergonomics: Protecting Your Back on Long Drives

An aching back is the last thing you need when you finally reach your road trip destination. Unfortunately, sitting in a car for hours stresses your spine and may cause post-trip back pain and stiffness. Keeping these back-friendly tips in mind will make your next road trip much more comfortable.

Empty Your Pockets

Remove phones, keys, wallets, and other objects from your back pockets when traveling. Placing a wallet in your back pocket forces your body to tilt, according to The Ohio State University. Sitting this way for hours may eventually strain your lower spine.

Spring for a Seat Cushion

A seat that feels perfectly fine during short drives can turn into a torture device during long road trips. If the seat bottom doesn't provide enough support or padding, buy an ergonomic cushion for your next drive. Air-filled or memory foam cushions support your spine and make sitting a more comfortable experience.

Adjust Your Seat

The position of your seat back can be a contributing factor in back pain. A research study published in the Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences in 2022 examined the link between driving posture and low back pain. Researchers explained that increased pressure on the lower back can affect the symmetry of the bones in your pelvis and cause chronic low back pain.

They noted that the pressure on the discs in the spine is the lowest when reclining the seat by 25 to 30 degrees. Placing your seat too far back may also increase pressure on the spine. Make sure your feet can easily touch the floor when seated with your back firmly against the back of the seat.

Support Your Back

Automobile seats have been traditionally designed to fit the body of the average male. In fact, crash test dummies are 5'9" for this reason, according to Consumer Reports. If your car seats have built-in lumbar support, the support area may not fit your back correctly if you're shorter or taller than 5'9".

Luckily, a lumbar cushion can help you avoid back pain during your road trip. Lumbar cushions support the natural curve of your lower back and reduce pressure on the spine.

Take Stretching Breaks

Aches and pains can still happen even if you embrace ergonomics during your drive. Stretching offers a simple way to soothe sore, tight muscles and prevent aches and pain that linger for days after your trip ends. Stretch your back, legs, hips, and shoulders before you start your trip, during rest stops, and when you reach your destination. Looking for a simple stretch that can be performed anywhere? Arch your back, then bend forward, letting your arms dangle.

Frequent breaks ease pressure on your spine, reduce muscle tension, and improve circulation. SPINE-Health recommends taking a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving, but notes that people with back pain may need more frequent breaks.

Don't Look Down

Cell phones offer the ultimate entertainment option if you're a passenger in a car. Unfortunately, looking down at your phone can strain the muscles, tissues, and vertebrae in your spine, causing neck, shoulder, and upper back pain. Eventually, you may even develop a painful condition called tech, or text, neck. Hold your phone at eye level, or use a phone mount to protect your neck and back.

Visit the Chiropractor

Scheduling a visit with your chiropractor before and after long drives can help you reduce your risk for back pain. Subluxations, or misaligned vertebrae, increase tension on muscles and soft tissues, increasing your risk for pain when sitting for long periods. Chiropractic adjustments correct subluxations and reduce soft tissue tension, making it less likely you'll experience back pain. After your trip, adjustments and other treatments keep your spine, muscles and soft tissues flexible and pain-free.

Make chiropractic care part of your road trip preparations. Contact our office to schedule your visit with the chiropractor before or after your trip.

Sources:

Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences: Prevalence of Lower Back Pain and its Relationship with Driving Postures among Drivers in Taif, Saudi Arabia, 7/13/2022

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9469425/

SPINEhealth: 7 Tips to Alleviate Back Pain on Your Road Trips, 9/12/2019

https://www.spine-health.com/blog/7-tips-alleviate-back-pain-your-road-trips

The Ohio State University: Back Pain While Driving: Causes and Treatment, 9/23/2021

https://desis.osu.edu/seniorthesis/index.php/2021/09/23/back-pain-while-driving-causes-and-treatment/

Harvard Health Publishing: Don’t Take Back Pain Sitting Down, 6/18/2023

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/dont-take-back-pain-sitting-down

WebMD: What Is Lower Crossed Syndrome?, 3/5/2025

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/what-is-lower-crossed-syndrome

Consumer Reports: The Crash Test Bias: How Male Focused Testing Puts Female Drivers at Risk, 10/23/2019

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/crash-test-bias-how-male-focused-testing-puts-female-drivers-at-risk/

08/11/2026

Southland Chiropractic Newsletter

How Heat and Hydration Affect Muscle and Joint Health

Stiff, painful joints and muscles don't just happen when it's cold outside. Heat and dehydration can also be factors in pain and stiffness. When temperatures rise, taking a few precautions can help you avoid sore, stiff joints and muscles.

How Heat Affects Muscles and Joints

Blood vessels dilate, or widen, causing stiff, swollen joints during hot weather. As joints stiffen, range of motion decreases, which can affect flexibility whether you're going for run or pruning shrubbery. Although joint changes can happen to anyone, people with arthritis or other conditions may be more likely to experience heat-related issues.

Muscle fatigue occurs much sooner than normal when it's hot. The problem happens when your body increases blood flow to your skin to assist in cooling. Unfortunately, this means that your muscles receive less blood and soon become fatigued.

You're more likely to experience injuries, like strains and sprains, when your muscles are tired. Fatigued muscles can also be a factor in joint injuries. Tired muscles struggle to support joints, which also increases the risk of injury.

The Effect of Hydration on Muscles and Joints

Water is essential to the health of your tissues and joints. When fluid levels decrease, dehydration occurs. Dehydration can cause thirst, decreased urine output, dry mouth, fatigue, and headache. Without enough water, your muscles may begin to cramp painfully.

Dehydration affects the joints by decreasing synovial fluid amounts. The fluid circulates around joints, providing the lubrication needed to move easily. When synovial fluid levels drop, joints can become stiff and painful.

Muscles have a high water content. When you're dehydrated, your muscles must work harder and may become fatigued or strained more easily. It also takes your muscles longer to recover from physical activity if you're dehydrated.

The combination of hot, humid conditions and dehydration can lead to microdamage of skeletal muscles, according to a research study published in the Journal of Athletic Training in 2005. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones and help you move your body. Researchers noted that participants who walked on a treadmill in a hot, humid room with restricted fluids were more likely to experience microdamage than those who received oral fluids.

Hydration is particularly important as you age. A research study published in Nutrients in 2019 noted that a higher intercellular water content/lean mass ratio in people 75 and older was associated with better muscle strength and function. Older people with better hydration also had a reduced risk for frailty.

Poor hydration also affects the condition of:

Spinal Discs
Tendons
Cartilage

Without enough fluid, these structures may become less flexible and more prone to injury.

5 Ways to Protect Joints and Muscles This Summer

Keeping joints and muscles strong and healthy can be as simple as:

Improving Hydration. Increase the amount of water you drink on hot, humid days. If you feel thirsty, you may already be dehydrated. Be sure to drink before, during, and after you exercise.
Stretching. Stretching can help you avoid strains and sprains, but timing matters on hot, humid days. Stretch in the morning or during the coolest part of the day.
Timing. Scheduling outdoor activities or exercise for the early morning or evening hours when heat and humidity is less intense. Limiting vigorous or intense activities to these times will help you avoid dehydration and sore, stiff muscles.
Paying Attention to Your Body. Muscle cramps, dark urine, fatigue, and extreme thirst can be signs of heat exhaustion or heatstroke. If you experience these symptoms, drink more water and find a cool place to rest. If symptoms don't improve, seek emergency treatment.
Visiting Your Chiropractor. Chiropractic treatments, like adjustments and soft tissue therapies, reduce muscle tension, improve range of motion in joints, and boost circulation, helping you stay pain-free during summer weather. During your appointment, your chiropractor looks for subluxations, or misaligned vertebrae, and joint restrictions that could stress muscles and soft tissues. Correcting these issues with chiropractic therapies could help you avoid heat-related pain and injuries.

Chiropractic treatment is essential for good joint and muscle health when temperatures soar. Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

Journal of Athletic Training: Dehydration and Symptoms of Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness in Hyperthermic Males, 10-12/2005

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1323290/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heat-Related Illnesses, 3/3/2026

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/heat-stress/about/illnesses.html

Nutrients: Intracellular Water Content in Lean Mass is Associated with Muscle Strength, Functional Capacity, and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals. A Cross-Sectional Study, 3/19/2019

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6471552/

Cleveland Clinic: Heat Cramps, 3/31/2023

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24866-heat-cramps

American Physiological Society: Heat Stress May Affect the Muscles for Longer Than We Think, 2/13/2024

https://www.physiology.org/detail/news/2024/02/13/heat-stress-may-affect-the-muscles-for-longer-than-we-think?SSO=Y

06/23/2026

https://fb.watch/HVKv98pub2/?mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

06/18/2026

Southland Chiropractic Clinic Newsletter

Sitting All Day Could Be the Cause of Your Lower Back Pain

You don't have to be active to develop lower back pain. Sitting stresses your spine and may cause back issues, particularly if you spend hours in a chair every day. Fortunately, making a few changes to your routine can help you avoid back pain caused by sitting.

How Sitting Causes Lower Back Pain

Remaining in the same position too long may stiffen and strain muscles, joints, and tissues in your back. Unfortunately, sitting for long periods has become a normal part of life for many people. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, many adults 20 and older are sedentary (move very little) for about 9.5 hours every day.

Whether you're catching up on social media, watching TV, or working, sitting increases pressure on your spine. The increased pressure tightens your muscles, plays a role in inflammation, and may cause chronic lower back pain.

Muscles need frequent activity to stay strong. Long periods of sitting could weaken core muscles that support the spine and are essential for good posture. Sitting also tightens muscles in the hips and hamstrings.

Your spine looks a little like an "S" when you look at it from the side. The curved shape of the spine:

Protects Bones and Discs in the Spine by Absorbing Shock
Helps Distribute Weight Evenly
Provides Flexibility Needed to Bend, Stretch, and Twist

Poor posture while sitting flattens the natural curves of your spine and increases pressure on spinal discs, while straining ligaments and soft tissues. You may experience lower back pain when sitting if you slouch, cross your legs, round your shoulders, or lean forward. Sitting in a chair that doesn't offer good back support could also cause pain.

Sitting all day increases your risk for subluxations, or misalignments of the bony vertebrae in your spine. Subluxations increase pressure on muscles, ligaments, and tendons and press on nerves. Unfortunately, subluxations don't go away on their own.

Improving Lower Back Pain Caused by Sitting

Although sitting may be unavoidable in some cases, you can do a few things to reduce your risk for back pain, including:

Taking Breaks. Schedule short breaks every 30 to 60 minutes. Stand, stretch, or go for a walk to decrease stress on your spine during your breaks. Need a simple stretching exercise? Lift your hands above your head, then slowly lower your upper body toward the floor. Touch the floor if you can or hold on to your lower legs to experience the stretch.
Standing More. Could some of your daily activities be accomplished while standing? Try reading emails, talking on the phone, or watching TV while standing. A standing desk is a good choice if you work behind a desk. Standing desks can be raised to accommodate standing or lowered for sitting. Alternating between standing and sitting gives your back a break.
Improving Your Posture. Slumping on a chair or sitting on the floor increases pressure on the lower back, according to a research study published in Bioengineering in 2023. Researchers noted that sitting on the floor was even worse for the spine than sitting slumped on a chair. Practicing good posture when sitting can help you avoid low back pain. Keep your feet flat on the floor and relax your shoulders. Make sure your knees are at the same level as your hips. Don't lean forward while you're sitting. Position your laptop or computer monitor at eye level to reduce leaning.
Stretching and Strengthening Muscles. Simple stretches, like lunges, help keep muscles and tissues flexible, while planks, crunches, and other exercises strengthen core muscles in the abdomen, back, and pelvis that support the spine. Improving core strength reduces stress on discs and ligaments and helps you maintain good posture when sitting.
Visiting the Chiropractor. Your chiropractor can help you manage lower back pain with adjustments, massage and other treatments. Adjustments correct subluxations, ease pain, reduce inflammation, improve range of motion, and decrease tension on muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Massage loosens tight tissues and enhances flexibility in the back.

Struggling with lower back pain? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

Keck School of Medicine of USC: Achy Back? You May Be Sitting Too Much, 5/27/2020

https://keck.usc.edu/news/achy-back-you-may-be-sitting-too-much/

American College of Sports Medicine: How Do Americans Spend Their Sedentary Time?, 1/24/2022

https://www.newswise.com/articles/how-do-americans-spend-their-sedentary-time

BMC: Bioengineering: Biomechanical Effects of Different Sitting Postures and Physiologic Movements on the Lumbar Spine: A Finite Element Study, 9/7/2023

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10525568/

Spine Health Foundation: Sedentarism and Its Effects on the Spine, 12/4/2020

https://spinehealth.org/article/sedentarism-and-its-effects-on-the-spine/

Harvard Health Publishing: The Dangers of Sitting, 8/13/2020

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/the-dangers-of-sitting

06/18/2026

Southland Chiropractic Clinic Newsletter

How Your Morning Routine Affects Your Spine

A spine-friendly morning routine could help you enjoy a pain-free day. In fact, the choices you make when you first wake up could hurt or help your back. Fortunately, it's never too late to start prioritizing your back health.

What Happens to Your Spine Overnight?

While you're peacefully snoozing, your spinal discs soak up fluids and become plumper. The discs cushion the space between the bony vertebrae in your spine. In addition to providing flexibility, spinal discs also act as natural shock absorbers.

Plumper discs can cause morning stiffness and increase tension on ligaments. Swollen discs aren't the only cause of stiffness. Remaining nearly motionless for eight hours or longer can cause stiff muscles and joints.

7 Morning Habits That Can Ruin Your Day

If you do any of these things, you may be at risk for back pain:

Jumping Out of Bed the Moment the Alarm Rings. Although you may be eager to start the day, rushing out of bed may increase your risk of strains and sprains due to tight muscles, joints, and ligaments. Instead, take a few moment to warm up your body before you throw back the blankets. Sit up slowly and roll your neck slowly toward your left shoulder, then back to the right shoulder. Rotate your ankles in circles a few times. If you automatically, yawn and stretch when you wake up, even better. The habit, called pandiculation, relieves muscle tension and activates connective tissue, according to The Cleveland Clinic.
Not Drinking Enough Water. The fluid-level in your discs decreases as you stand up and go about your day. Drinking water helps hydrate the discs, reducing your risk for pain.
Checking Your Phone. If your phone is the first thing you reach for in the morning, you may be setting the stage for neck and upper back pain. Most people bend their heads to view their phones, which significantly increases stress on the neck and upper back. Over time, this position can cause a condition called text neck. Symptoms of text neck include neck and upper back pain, headaches, stiffness, muscle spasms, and numbness and tingling in the arms and hands. Reduce your risk for text neck by holding your phone at eye level.
Failing to Stretch. Starting your day without stretching may also cause aches and pains, as tight tissues are more likely to become strained or sore. Taking five minutes to stretch can help you avoid pain. Stretches don't have to complicated to be effective. Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest, or try the cat-cow yoga pose. Start the pose on all fours. Arch your back and lower your head (cat), then lift your head and drop your spine (cow). Avoid exercises that involve vigorous movements or a lot of bending first thing in the morning.
Poor Posture. Pay attention to the way you brush your teeth or put on your makeup. Bending your neck or hunching your back may strain your upper and mid-back, causing nagging pain that lasts all day. Bend from the hips instead of rounding your back.
Stressing Out. Thoughts of completing everything on your mental to-do list may increase your stress level in the morning. Stress increases tension in muscles and soft tissues, which can cause or worsen back pain. Relieve stress by taking a few deep breaths or meditating.
Ignoring Stiffness. Ignoring morning stiffness won't make it go away and will only increase your risk for strained or sprained muscles and tissues. A hot shower is an excellent way to relieve stiffness. If you're a nighttime bather, put a heating pad on your back or neck for a few minutes before you being your day.

Wondering why your back pain hasn't gotten better even though you follow a back-friendly morning routine? You may have a subluxation. A subluxation, or misalignment of the vertebrae, causes pain and increases tension on muscles and soft tissues. Chiropractic treatments, like adjustments and massage, ease back pain and help you avoid pain and stiffness.

Improve your back health with chiropractic care! Call our office to schedule your appointment.

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic: What Is Pandiculation, and Why Does It Feel So Good?, 4/10/2025

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-does-pandiculation-feel-so-good

Harvard Health Publishing: The Importance of Stretching, 4/17/2024

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/the-importance-of-stretching

CNN: The 8-Minute Morning Routine to Reduce Back Pain All Day, 1/30/2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/30/health/exercises-for-back-pain-relief-wellness

PMC: European Journal of Applied Physiology: The Effects of Chronic Stretch Training on Musculoskeletal Pain, 3/9/2025

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12354564/

06/18/2026

Southland Chiropractic Clinic Newsletter

Daily Habits That Support a Healthy Spine

Wondering what you can do to prevent backaches? Incorporating a few of these habits into your daily routine will help you keep your spine healthy.

Strengthen Your Core

The effects of gravity and wear and tear take a toll on your spine. In fact, age-related spinal changes can begin as early as age 30, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Although you can't completely avoid these changes, strengthening the muscles that support your spine reduces your risk for back pain and improves posture, stability and balance. Exercises like planks and crunches are ideal for strengthening muscles in your back, abdomen, and hips.

Keep Moving

Movement helps your spine stay flexible and improves blood flow to your back. You don't need to follow a complicated exercise routine to enjoy the back health benefits of movement. Walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, and other activities help keep your spine limber and healthy.

Lift Carefully

Poor lifting techniques can stress your back, strain muscles and ligaments, and may even increase your risk for herniated discs. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 50% of low back pain is caused by twisting, bending, lifting, pushing, or carrying heavy items.

Practice safe lifting techniques by bending at your knees when you pick up an object. Hold the object close to your chest if possible. Keep your back straight as you stand. Don't twist as you lift.

Pick up a corner of the object to gauge its weight. If an object seems too heavy to lift alone, don't move it or lift it without help.

Make Positive Lifestyle Changes

Obesity and smoking increase the risk of low back pain, according to The Lancet Rheumatology. Extra pounds stress your spine and increase the amount of pressure on it. Stress and strain may damage the discs that cushion your vertebrae and lead to arthritis. Even a few extra pounds could increase your likelihood for back pain.

Smoking reduces blood flow to the spine and can affect disc, bone, and blood vessel health, according to a 2021 literature review published in Surgical Neurology International. Although losing weight and quitting smoking can be challenging, making these changes could improve the health of your spine.

Limit Sitting

Sitting also increases stress on the spine and can be a factor in back pain. Reduce the effects of sitting by including frequent breaks in your schedule. Take a few minutes to stretch, walk in place, or take a short stroll before returning to your chair. Schedule breaks every 30 minutes to one hour.

Pay Attention to Posture

Slouching, whether you're sitting or standing, is a common cause of back pain. Poor posture stresses your spine, muscles, and joints and can cause subluxations, which are misalignments of the vertebrae in your spine. Keep your head in a neutral position and avoid hunching your upper back when you sit or stand.

Good posture is just as important when using digital devices. Bending your head to view devices can cause text neck, a painful condition that can lead to permanent changes in your spine if you don't improve your posture. Symptoms of text neck include headaches, subluxations, tingling or numbness in your hands, and pain and stiffness in shoulder, neck, and upper back. Hold devices at eye level to reduce your risk for text neck.

Regular visits to the chiropractor can help you correct subluxations caused by poor posture. Spinal adjustments, one of the treatments offered by your chiropractor, improve the alignment of the vertebrae by applying quick thrusts to the spine. This painless treatment offers a simple way to improve your posture and reduce your risk for back pain.

Dealing with back pain? Chiropractic care can ease your pain and improve spinal alignment. Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

Spine Health Foundation: 30 Tips for Spine Health Prevention & Wellness, 10/17/2024

https://spinehealth.org/article/spine-health-wellness/

PMC: Surgical Neurology International : Adverse Impact of Smoking on the Spine and Spinal Surgery, 3/24/2021

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8053459/

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Engineering Controls Database, 11/16/2018

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/engcontrols/ecd/detail25.html

Harvard Health Publishing: Three Moves for Better Spine Health, 8/1/2020

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/three-moves-for-better-spine-health

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Low Back Pain

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/low-back-pain/

Lancet Rheumatology: Global, Regional, and National Burden of Low Back Pain, 1990-2020, Its Attributable Risk Factors, and Projections to 2050: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, 7/2023

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(23)00098-X/fulltext

06/18/2026

Southland Chiropractic Clinic Newsletter

Feeling Stiff When You Wake Up? Find Out What You Can Do to Prevent the Problem

Morning stiffness is more than just an annoyance. Loss of flexibility can lead to injuries that cause pain for days or weeks. Determining why you feel stiff is the first step in improving flexibility. Stiffness can be caused by these common issues:

Awkward Sleeping Position

Sleeping on your side is the best way to avoid back pain, according to the Sleep Foundation, while sleeping on your back is the second-best position. Sleeping on your stomach isn't recommended, as this position can stress muscles and tissues in your back, neck, and shoulder and cause subluxations (spinal misalignments).

Do you sleep on your side or back and still feel stiff in the morning? The problem could be the way you sleep. Keeping your spine properly aligned is the key to avoiding pain and stiffness. Twisting your hips while you sleep or arching your back could be the reason you feel stiff.

What You Can Do. Placing a small pillow between your knees improves the alignment of your hips, pelvis, and spine if you prefer to sleep on your side. If you sleep on your back, the best pillow position is beneath your knees. A pillow under your hips may improve stiffness if you're a stomach sleeper and can't adjust to sleeping on your back or side.

Lack of Movement

Muscles and tissues naturally become a little stiffer if you don't move them for hours. Stiffness can also be affected by the height of your spinal discs. While you sleep, your spinal discs absorb fluids from your tissues, increasing their height. Plump discs make your back feel tighter in the morning and may be more likely to cause pain if you already have a back issue.

Synovial fluid circulates around joints and lubricates them, making movement easy and painless. Remaining in the same position for hours slows synovial fluid circulation, which can lead to stiffness.

What You Can Do. Movement improves fluid circulation, but first thing in the morning isn't the ideal time to jump into a vigorous exercise routine. Avoid quick movements that could strain your muscles and tissues. Stretch your arms and roll your neck from side-to-side before you slowly rise from your bed. Once you're out of bed, perform a few gentle stretches to improve flexibility and range of motion. Looking for a simple stretching exercise? Try raising your arms above your head and then extending them to the sides, or lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest to stretch your back.

Unsupportive Mattress

A mattress that doesn't adequately support your spine could be the reason for morning pain and stiffness. Although manufacturers claim mattresses should last seven to 10 years, that's not always the case. Mattresses can become uncomfortable after just a few months or may last 15 years, depending on the construction and quality of the mattress.

What You Can Do. If your mattress sags or just doesn't feel comfortable any more, it's time to replace it, no matter how long you've had it.

Dehydration

Do you avoid drinking water after a certain point in the day because you don't want to make midnight trips to the bathroom? Dehydration can affect fluid levels of the discs that cushion the vertebrae in your spine.

What You Can Do. Drink water throughout the day to prevent dehydration. Yes, you might need to visit the bathroom during the night, but you just may feel less stiff in the morning.

Aging

Stiffness may also be related to aging, as muscles and tendons naturally become more rigid with age. According to the European Journal of Translational Myology, stiffness can be due to a decline of muscle contractile force (the amount of force a muscle produces).

What You Can Do. Although you can't turn back the clock, performing stretches before you go to bed and when you first wake up could reduce stiffness. Hot showers and exercises that build strong muscles may also be helpful.

Struggling with stiffness? Your chiropractor offers treatments, exercises and strategies that can help you move more easily. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

Sleep Foundation: Best Sleeping Positions, 7/25/2025

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleeping-positions

Spine Health Foundation: 30 Tips for Spine Health Prevention & Wellness, 10/17/2024

https://spinehealth.org/article/spine-health-wellness/

Cleveland Clinic: Muscle Stiffness, 7/20/2023

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25147-muscle-stiffness

American Chiropractic Association: Joint Health

https://www.acatoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ACA_JointHealth_2023.pdf

PMC: European Journal of Translational Myology: Increase of Resting Muscle Stiffness, a Less Considered Component of Age-Related Skeletal Muscle Impairment, 6/17/2020

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7385684/

Jack HT Hakimian, D.C.

08/11/2026

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