Early Morning Pain and Leg Swelling

Waking up with pain and inflammation is no fun, but many people greet each day in this situation. Some chronic conditions like arthritis cause early morning pain. Other causes might be temporary. Swelling or limb immobility during the evening complicates matters.

Early Morning Pain Causes

• If you wake up with pain, you might have a form of arthritis. According to American Autoimmune's website, morning pain and stiffness are associated with all types of arthritis, from rheumatoid to osteoarthritis. Other autoimmune disease like lupus, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can cause early morning pain, too.

Leg Swelling Causes

• Swelling in the legs my be a transient or more ongoing condition. In addition to autoimmune disorders, diabetes, pregnancy, lymphedema, infection, nerve damage, varicose veins, congestive heart failure, dehydration, blood clots and more can cause leg swelling.

Morning Swelling and Leg Pain

• If you wake up with both leg pain and swelling, consider dehydration, electrolyte imbalance or too much exercise the day before, advises Medline Plus. You may want to check to see if medications you are taking could be the culprit.

Minimizing Morning Complications

• To minimize morning pain and swelling, sleep on a bed rather than a recliner. Elevate your legs with a pillow while in bed. Do not overdo standing or excessive exercise before bed. Stretching muscles before you get out of bed in the morning or applying ice is recommended by Medline Plus. Keeping conditions like diabetes and arthritis under control will also help.

Other Considerations

• Obtaining a proper diagnosis for your morning pain and swelling is important. Since so many conditions and circumstances can cause this combination, you need to get to the root cause. Medline Plus suggests going to a doctor if you also have a fever, legs are discolored (red, black, blue) or the situation does not improve with home treatment.